Campus Pride Week: Queer archive makes diversity visible!

Campus Pride Week: Queer archive makes diversity visible!

As part of Campus Pride Week and the summaery2025 event, an innovative project is taking place at the Weimar University Library that is dedicated to making queer knowledge and personal experiences visible. In this context, an ephemeral queer archive is created in the specialist course “Queering Spaces”, the aim of which is to dissolve familiar categories and extend an invitation to “cruise” the library collection. The initiative was launched based on the theory of José Esteban Muñoz, in particular its core point “Ephemera as Evidence”. The essence of Muñoz's work is used to illuminate the connection between art, queerness and social ideals.

The library invites artists to submit their contributions in transparent acrylic boxes. These works are intended to establish a connection to neighboring books, our own queer memories and perspectives. In order to meet the material requirements, the contributions are library-grade and must not contain any liquids or organic substances. The maximum size of the submitted works is 32 × 24 × 10 cm. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, June 12, 2025.

José Esteban Muñoz and the ephemera

José Esteban Muñoz was not only an influential critic of contemporary mainstream gay and lesbian politics, but also a thought leader in the field of queer theory. He argued that current policy goals, such as marriage equality, do not satisfactorily address the broader needs of the queer community. Muñoz saw queerness as something that is “not here yet” and agreed on the need to consider queer aesthetics as a way to shape alternative social relations. This thinking was a key influence on the current project in Weimar, as it highlights the importance of temporary artworks and their ability to leave a mark.

His concepts of “disidentificatory performances” enable marginalized people to articulate their own cultural truths while resisting dominant ideologies. Muñoz's theory of queer futurity suggests that these temporary representations create a vision for the future that allows minority subjects to orient and represent themselves in a world characterized by dominance.

Linking theory and practice

This year's initiative in Weimar is based on these theoretical foundations by inviting people to use art as a means of reflecting on queer identity-forming experiences. Muñoz's influence is noticeable, not least because his work also deals with themes such as utopia in queer art and the feeling of belonging. His investigations into the social symbolism in aesthetic processes open up a new perspective on the creation of communities that move beyond hegemonic norms.

In addition, Muñoz's work encompasses various cultural aspects, ranging from Black Atlantic theory to more radical performance approaches, making it a valuable basis for the planned archive in Weimar. Muñoz’s commitment to the visibility and survival of the queer community, especially people of color, is echoed in this endeavor.

This event is expected to provide a platform to advance queer-friendly discourses and create a dynamic archive that contains not only art but also the stories and memories of individuals who often linger in the shadows of society. Thus, the ephemeral queer archive is viewed not only as a space for current expressions, but also as a contribution to the longer-term discussion about identity, belonging and the power of art in the fight against discrimination.