About
This event will focus on visual art, bringing together artists, historians, and activists to explore a century of LGBTQIA+ visibility, cultural expression, and resistance. Conceived to mark the tenth anniversary of the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum, the focus expands to consider a broader historical and artistic perspective, acknowledging the struggles,…
This event will focus on visual art, bringing together artists, historians, and activists to explore a century of LGBTQIA+ visibility, cultural expression, and resistance. Conceived to mark the tenth anniversary of the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum, the focus expands to consider a broader historical and artistic perspective, acknowledging the struggles, setbacks, and victories that have shaped queer lives over the past 100 years. The event will bring together leading international voices, contributing to the ongoing LGBTQIA+ narratives and revision of history.
We will seek to provide a distinctive, reflective space, one that foregrounds lived experiences, artistic interventions, and historical struggles, situating Irish experiences within a wider global and historical context while deepening public awareness of LGBTQIA+ history and the role of art in queer activism.
In the lead-up to the event, we have launched an Oral History Initiative to collect public reflections on the 2015 referendum. Contributions can be submitted via this link.
Recognising the emotional weight of the topics discussed, onsite wellbeing resources will be available for speakers and attendees, in cooperation with Outhouse.
The event will be convened by Kate Drinane, National Gallery of Ireland; and Seán Kissane, IMMA.
PLEASE NOTE: This event is also streaming online – register for your place at the link above.
Programme:
- 9.15am Tea/Coffee and registration (Shaw Room)
- 10am Opening remarks and welcome
Session I: Imagining New Worlds
- 10.20am Diarmuid Hester – Vexed: How to do queer history
- 10.50am Leilah Babirye – From Uganda to USA: Reframing the Abject as Culture
- 11.20am Seán Kissane – Before Equality: Agency and Power in the Art of Patrick Hennessy and Henry Robertson Craig
11.50am Break
Session II: National Histories
- 12.10pm Jaki Irvine – Sounds of Surrender and Resistance
- 12.40pm Alan Phelan – Our Kind: Roger Casement’s speculative life in Norway
- 1.10pm Brian Teeling – Declan Flynn in Dublin
1.40pm – 3.10pm – Lunch and tours
Refreshments, free time, and taster tours of selected LGBTQIA+ artworks in the National Gallery of Ireland. Tours offered in English, trí Gaeilge, and with enhanced supports.
Session III: Transcending History
- 3.10pm Samir Mahmood – Transcendence without Labels
- 3.40pm Patricia Cronin – Memorial To A Marriage: Radical Imagination and Monumental Protest
- 4.10pm Closing Comments and Questions
Further details:
● Book your ticket at the link above – there are options to attend in person, or online.
● Tea, coffee and a light lunch will be provided.
● The event will also be live-streamed ensuring broad accessibility.
● Easiest access is via the Merrion Square entrance to the National Gallery of Ireland, but ask any member of staff for directions.
● The event is designed to be inclusive and accessible, with members of our Education Team on hand to offer support and encouragement throughout.
● To find out more contact tours@ngi.ie.
Oral History Project
In the lead-up to the event, we have launched an Oral History initiative to collect public reflections on the 2015 referendum. Your anonymous contributions will be shared as part of the conference, preserving a collective record of love, activism, and social change. Share your personal reflection on the historic moment here.
Partners
This event is co-organised by IMMA – Irish Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Ireland. In partnership with Outhouse; GCN; Technological University Dublin; Queer Culture Ireland.
