On the occasion of Queer Frontiers: Queer Myths, Queer Futures, artists, art professionals and writers gathered in the heart of Soho to explore both the historical contexts for queer art and envision what queer visual culture might look like in the future.

The panellists at the event were Sacha Coward, an educator, community curator and consultant working on hidden LGBTQ+ histories and stories in collections, whose book Queer as Folklore: A Secret History of the Links Between Queerness, Folklore and Myth is to be published next year, and Dominic Sylvia Lauren, founder and co-director of Hekáte Studios, an innovative studio and project management platform, supporting artists, galleries, and cultural organisations internationally, and who recently launched the nomadic gallery KIRKI which takes over domestic spaces and stages annual contemporary art exhibitions across the Greek Cyclades.

The panel was completed by 3 of the exhibiting artists: Mazahir Hussain, a queer South Asian illustrator representing brown bodies from a romantic perspective; Olivia Mansfield, a multidisciplinary artist focusing on the female figure and whose practice is rooted in classical painting, philosophy, folklore, mythology and symbolism; and lastly Shane Sutherland, a London-based digital artist exploring blackness and queerness identity, utilising both analogue and digital processes to regenerate power within the Black subject.

The exhibition's theme was a first for Queer Frontiers, which this year featured commissioned limited edition prints by 12 of the exhibiting artists around the theme Queer Myths, Queer Futures. Each artist brought a unique perspective to the theme, adding richness and diversity to the exhibition and exploring different aspects of the intersection between mythology and queerness.

Olivia's work offered a modern take on the image of the Three Graces, figures of desire, womanhood and fertility, rebirth and resilience, choosing to source in mythological iconography powerful female characters incarnating confidence and self-love. On the other hand, Mazahir drew inspiration from Renaissance artworks, exploring queer aspects of mythical figures like Aphrodite. Mazahir, whose work celebrates brown bodies through romance and queer love, explained how myths have been integral to the understanding of their identity. They always looked at the origin story of Aphrodite, who was born a fully grown adult, finding in it strong queer undertones that refer to the idea of adolescence and that of a "second birth" queer adults go through when realising who they are.

As Sacha brilliantly expressed, the work of these artists is part of an ancient legacy, as queer people always lived and loved under different names. They have been reinventing mythology and folklore since the beginning, from Andersen's mermaids to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, to Sappho, etc.; queer people have repeatedly needed to reinvent themselves and the words to identify themselves with. In this research, the past is used to create the present; its fundaments create space, especially for young people looking to explore this.

The panel emphasised the importance of creating safe spaces for queer artists to express themselves freely. Shane, who previously worked in anti-racism and decolonial advocacy within higher education, is also the co-founder of the London-based charity 'Decolonised Networking' and stressed the influence of this work on their practice, always seeking to create safe queer spaces. As co-founder of a queer-led company, Dominic wants to challenge the status quo of how the art world operates, trying to understand how to support artists and being transparent about their relationships with them, contracts, etc. She has found herself working primarily with queer artists, supporting them by creating safe spaces, being their advocates and ally and ensuring they are correctly represented. She explained the danger queer artists face of falling into traps of tokenisation and trends, the reason why having people that can guide those conversations and support the collaborations is essential.

The discussion touched on the challenges faced by queer artists in gaining representation, with only 6% of working artists and arts professionals in the UK today identifying as queer. It was suggested that more platforms and collaborations are needed to promote queer art and artists. "No one knows how to do everything, so someone needs to connect and create community," said Mazahir. "You cannot channel the creativity if you don't have a safe space", added Olivia, stressing the importance of creating platforms where artists can express themselves freely. More than that, we also need to bring the attention to a mainstream level and get the interest of the wider world.

Queer communities do a good job of supporting one another, hence why the focus now is to bring their creative work to the mainstream. An interesting point was raised about the balance between being in a safe space like Soho versus representation in places that might tokenise queer art. Some panellists agreed that as long as it aligns with ethical practices, making an impact through representation in mainstream spaces could be beneficial.

The panellists also addressed the responsibility of queer artists in shaping their identity through their work. While some felt it necessary to put queerness at the forefront of their art, others believed in the importance of creative freedom and expressing individual goals. It's uncourtly unfair that the pressure to be politically engaged in their art falls exclusively on minorities' shoulders whilst it should be of each artist, regardless of their identity.

Queer Frontiers' 2023 edition successfully brought together diverse artists and professionals to explore the connections between queer identities, mythology, and contemporary art. The event provided an essential platform for the artists to express themselves, celebrate their identities, and explore an artistic vision of what queer could mean in the future.

By Eleonora Cerasoli