The exhibition "Queer Modernism. 1900 to 1950" at the K20 of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen sets a new standard in the art world: for the first time in Europe, the revolutionary contribution of queer artists to modernism is comprehensively reflected.
With around 100 works by over 40 exhibitors, including some forgotten and some well-known names, the show explores the influence of gender and sexuality on modernist art movements. Works from Eastern and Western Europe as well as North and Latin America reflect desire, self-presentation and social history. They paint a picture of an avant-garde that focuses on alternative lifestyles and queer aesthetics.
The exhibition is based on years of research and corrects previous art historiography, which often marginalized queer artists or classified them as "counter-modern". The show presents many works from a queer perspective for the first time, not only paying tribute to the artistic diversity of modernism, but also telling the story of queer life in times of war, persecution and resistance.
