Mighty Real / Queer Detroit (original) (raw)

2024 Biennial

A Biennial Exhibition Devoted to LGBTQ+ Art

curated by patrick burton

Paula Allen | Niurka, Havana, 1998

180+ Artists

11 Galleries

800+ Works

Now in its second iteration, this biennial exhibition, produced by Mighty Real/Queer Detroit, explores the mirroring relationship between art and self as well as art and communities. The exhibition highlights the role of art in achieving personal visibility and social connection.

Art reveals who we are. And the mirroring power of art is key to creating positive and meaningful representations of LGBTQ+ folk. I’ll Be Your Mirror: Reflections of the Contemporary Queer examines timeless issues, which are especially relevant in the current political atmosphere when the freedom to express visibility is under mounting assault.

I'll Be Your Mirror: Reflections of the Contemporary Queer will run from Friday, May 31, to Sunday, June 30, in various Detroit galleries.

Participating Galleries

Slava Mogutin | Ange and June, Riis Beach, 2019

Featured Artists

PBS NEWS HOUR, June 27, 2024

Detroit showcases queer art in pioneering exhibition

EVENTS ALL MONTH LONG

I’ll Be Your Mirror – Reflections of the Contemporary Queer

Visual arts events, cinema, and live performances.

Drew de Pinto | Compton’s ‘22, 2022

Thursday, June 6, 2024

I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR:

QUEER DOCUMENTARY SHORTS 2020 - 2024
at the DIA/Detroit Film Theatre.

Curated by Adam Baran

“Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” It’s a question that’s going to be everywhere this election year, but for most queer people in America the answer, as always, is no. In this captivating program inspired by the theme of this year’s Mighty Real Queer Detroit biennial: “I’ll Be Your Mirror: Reflections of the Contemporary Queer”, filmmaker Adam Baran curates his favorite LGBTQ+ documentary shorts from the past 4 years of the pandemic, creating an intergenerational portrait of our lives in these increasingly perilous times. You’ll visit the sites of early queer rights rebellions in Los Angeles and San Francisco, experience a punk rock fairytale in Florida, observe three queer elders grappling with their place in the world, and witness firsthand how issues like isolation, climate catastrophe, racism, transphobia and gentrification are impacting our lives today. Yet even within our struggles, there are moments of beauty, joy, and hard-fought freedom, as this essential collection of films clearly illustrates.

Opening Dates and Times

A.L. Steiner | Greatest Hits

Clarity Haynes | Alter for Tee Corinne, 2019.

A Month-Long Art Exhibition Devoted to 77 Years (1945-2022) of Detroit LGBTQ+ Art curated by patrick burton.

Martini Marti (Le Roy Foster) | Self Portrait, 1945