Queer Spaces: London, 1980s - Today

This exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery was based around a collection of memorabilia that included advertised past events at a number of LGBTQ London venues; bar and club flyers predominate interspersed with leaflets sharing same-sex health information and evidence of political activism pertinent to the times; physical artifacts from closed Queer spaces and photographs of protests around the closing of many of these LGBTQ places due to gentrification are on display.

The exhibition was housed in a single room with glazed cabinets surrounding the walls. Headphones attached to each cabinet provided first-hand spoken testimonials that indicated how life had been for many Queer people during the 80s and onwards. I was quite touched listening to these accounts and hearing how special and safe these places made them feel. The format was well planned as I found my eyes perusing the cabinets as I listened to the spoken commentary, alighting on leaflets and photographs that helped me to understand what I was taking in. This setup was very effective and listening to the spoken word brought the cabinets to life and slowed down my experience of the exhibition, making it more contemplative than a visual perspective alone.

It is important to archive such ephemeral pieces of advertising of long gone clubs and bars and memorable events at these places. For example the physical changes to the layout over time at the 'City of Quebec' pub. It is only in the context of harassment and oppression could these changes be fully understood as the small back rooms and secluded corners make way for a more open plan area; indicating the growing confidence of the Queer community to stand its ground as a minority in a hetero-normative world.