Artistic research and mediation project: Irène Mélix is an artist. Irène Mélix is also a queer activist. The word queer is a self-description. This means that people such as gay men, lesbian women, bisexual people, trans people or intersexual use this word by choice to refer to themselves.
In Osnabrück, Irène Mélix traces moments of queer encounters in the past. And in the present. She does this as part of a project. Throughout the project, she offers opportunities to get involved. Part of her project involved looking for information in archives. She also had personal talks with queer people of all generations. And with politically active people. Searching for queer life with the people of Osnabrück will inform various event formats. For example, there will be a Queer Walk through the city. People from Osnabrück will talk about places that used to exist. And are to exist in the future. There will also be a writing workshop called Lonely Hearts. During the workshop, we will respond to old personal ads from Osnabrück. These and other events will be used to gather and connect stories and voices of different people.
On January 28, 2023, there will be a printed supplement in the newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. It will draw together all parts of queer life, stories, fictional elements, and snippets of memory. This will offer a diverse overview of queer stories from Osnabrück. The production of the newspaper supplement is supported by the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
Am 28. Januar erschien eine Sonderbeilage in der Neuen Osnabrücker Zeitung, die die Fragmente queeren Lebens zu einem facettenreichen Panorama von queerstories aus Osnabrück zusammenfügt. Du bekommst sie ab sofort in der Kunsthalle oder als digitale Version auf unserer Website. Für die Sonderbeilage zum künstlerischen Forschungsprojekt diamond splinters – osna´s queerstory sammelte Mélix für ein Jahr historisches Material und gegenwärtige Stimmen aus der queeren community Osnabrücks. Die Produktion der Sonderbeilage wurde unterstützt durch die Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
The project was curated by Manila Bartnik.
Irène Mélix (DE) is an artist and cultural scientist. She lives and works in Dresden. Since 2020 she is doing her PhD at the Bauhaus University Weimar. She has taught at the TU Chemnitz (2020) and at the HfBK Dresden (2019). Most recently, her work has been shown in international solo and group exhibitions, including at the Gay Museum Berlin (2021), the Lyon Biennale (2019), Jedna Dva Tři Gallery, Prague, or Fondazione Sandretto, Turin (both 2018).
Event programme:
Queer Walk 1
Saturday, 09.07.2022, 11:00
Start: Kunsthalle Osnabrück
Lonely Hearts (Writing Workshop)
Saturday, 27.08.2022, 12:00-17:00
Place: Kunsthalle Osnabrück
Soft Date (Coffee party at the Bar Confusion)
Sunday, 11.09.2022, 16:00
Place: Confusion Gay Pub
Zum Gedenken an Peter Hamel (In memory of Peter Hamel, Performance)
Wednesday, 14.09.2022, 18:00
Place: Raiffeisenplatz
Coming Out Day (Workshop)
Tuesday, 11.10.2022, 15:30
Location: Kunsthalle Osnabrück
Queer Walk 2
Saturday, 22.10.2022, 11:00
Location: Kunsthalle Osnabrück
Queer Walk 3
Saturday, 12.11.2022, 11:00
Start: Kunsthalle Osnabrück
Queer Walk 4
Saturday, 21.01.2023, 11:00
Start: Kunsthalle Osnabrück
Queer Talk (talk show)
Thursday, 09.02.2023, 19:00
Location: Spitzboden Lagerhalle
Queer Walk 5
Saturday, 11.02.2023, 11:00
Start: Kunsthalle Osnabrück
The research and mediation project is kindly supported by Kulturstiftung des Bundes, Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Niedersächsische Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, VR Stiftung and Freund:innen der Kunsthalle Osnabrück.
The programme of events is produced in cooperation with Gay in May, Diana Häs, Universität Osnabrück Neueste Geschichte, PD Dr. habil. Frank Wolff, Queer Refugees, Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Gedenkinitiative Peter Hamel, Lagerhalle e.V., CSD Osnabrück, Confusion Bar, Aidshilfe Osnabrück, Starkids-Transkids Osnabrück, Friends of Dorothy, Haus of Udo and a growing community of people who help put together the many diamond splinters of osna’s queerstory.