For decades, if not centuries, queer culture was counterculture. Much has been said about its profound influence on mainstream culture, particularly in times of aesthetic reorientation (mannerism, fin de siècle, the golden twenties, American pop culture of the 1960s and 1970s). The queer origins of new trends were often concealed.
But with the increasing acceptance of queer lifestyles in urban societies, queer cultural expressions start losing their contrary character and blending into the mainstream.
What forms of queer culture exist today? How does queer contradiction manifest itself in the cultural sector? Is there such a thing as queer culture at all? Do queer artists make queer art? How do they regard themselves? Do we even need queer art?
Complementary to the exhibition Queer as German Folk, panel discussions were held in Toronto, New York, Mexico City, and Berlin. Under the banner Queer Commons – Queer Conflicts, they highlighted diverse aspects of contemporary queer discourse: queer resistance, queer culture, queer diversity and queer establishment. The discussions – held in English with panelists from the US, Canada, Mexico and Germany – were recorded and are available on this website.
