Arondeus Widerstand

How can the resilience of queer people be maintained and strengthened in times of political right-wing shifts, growing insecurity, and discrimination?

Based on the life and work of Dutch artist and resistance fighter Willem Arondeus (1894–1943), this artistic research project explores what queer resistance meant back then and what forms it can take today. Arondeus, openly gay and a courageous member of the Dutch resistance against the Nazi regime, becomes a historical figurehead for a contemporary examination of queer identity, threat, and solidarity.

The project by queer photographer Francesco Giordano combines biographical research with artistic investigation and socio-political analysis. In a time of increasing uncertainty and queer-hostile rhetoric, the aim is to highlight the strategies queer people are developing today to strengthen resilience and how empowerment, visibility, and resistance can be anchored in the collective.

Various works will be on display that further develop queer memory culture, create space for exchange, and open up new perspectives. On December 6, another edition of the Queer Futures workshop will take place, in which participants will work together to develop possible visions and strategies for a present and future based on solidarity.

This project was commissioned by the ‘Verbindungslinien’ programme of the Professional Association of Visual Artists.

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Nadja Ißler

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Nadja Ißler

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Nadja Ißler

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