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QFFU Hangout & Queer Art
September 7, 2023 @ 18:00 – 20:00
On Thursday 7 September between 18:00 and 20:00, we will transform Villa Concordia into the QFFU Hang Out: a physical queer place in the city (safer space) for all Utrecht LGBTQIA+ organisations. Come and enjoy food and drinks and meet other people.
What can you do?
- Bring your own snacks and salad for the Bring your Own BBQ. A barbecue will be provided by QFFU. Note: your own drinks are not allowed to bring, you can buy drinks at the bar in Villa Concordia.
- Be surprised by Savannah Bay’s books
- Play a game of chess
- Visit Renée Mes’s ongoing video installation for free: Queer Anthology.
- At 20:30, go see the film Dykes, Camera, Action! Buy a ticket here.
There are beach chairs, picnic tables or bring your own rug.
In short: a great start to a fun Thursday afternoon get-together!
Entrance is free.
A Queer Anthology – Visual Stories from a Chosen Family, initiated by Renée Mes, is a project that delves into the identities and experiences of queer individuals, aiming to create visibility and recognition for queer people of color while providing a broader perspective on queer identity in the Netherlands. The project includes 5 short films featuring personal stories and is complemented by recorded conversations and specially designed objects showcased in the exhibition.
Entrance to the exhibition is free between 18:00 en 20:00 hours in Villa Concordia.
Background – A Queer Anthology
Since Renée Mes’ studies at Design Academy Eindhoven, they have been engaged in storytelling and exploring how they can generate societal impact through design. As a queer individual, Renée feels the importance of contributing to their own community. After graduating, they got involved in the world of film through ANNE+, a series and later a film for Netflix, where they worked as an art director from the beginning. During their time there, Renée noticed that the perspective portrayed was predominantly from a white standpoint, which did not align with the stories and experiences of their own queer friends. This led them to take a step back from ANNE+ and initiate their own project.
This opportunity became possible through Renée Mes’ involvement in the talent development program of the Stimuleringsfonds voor Creatieve Industrie (2020-2022). With the fund’s support, Renée was able to develop their own project, emphasizing the importance of telling the stories of those closest to them as a queer individual: Arsalan, Inez, Maria, Devin, and Ohemaa
A Queer Anthology – Visual Stories from a Chosen Family is a project about and in collaboration with my queer friends, my queer family. We have delved into each person’s identity as a group and individually. Subsequently, we have documented this and translated it into film.
We delve into each person’s development as a queer individual, the influence of everyone’s diverse cultural background, and the importance of queer communities and connections with one another. We also showcase the queer joy we share and want to display.
The primary goal is to create more recognition and visibility for queer people of color. Additionally, it aims to raise awareness and provide a broader perspective on the identity of queer individuals in the Netherlands, as the current narrative is still predominantly told from a white perspective.
The outcome includes 5 short films of about 2 minutes each, with each person’s personal story at the center. Furthermore, I want to show the project’s development to the visitors. This is achieved by including the recorded conversations in written form and showcasing the objects that were specially designed and created for the film shoots in the exhibition.