Midsumma to go west

Artist Karla Dickens will perform ‘To See or Not to See’ at Werribee Mansion as part of Queer Photo. (Sean Barrett)

Victoria’s premier queer cultural festival, Midsumma, comes to Melbourne’s west early next year with the Queer Photo exhibition taking place in Werribee, Newport and Footscray from January 27 to March 24.

Held in conjunction with PHOTO 2024 International Festival of Photography and Creative Victoria’s Go West program, Queer Photo will feature large-scale outdoor artworks, gallery exhibitions and an interactive public performance program by local and international artists.

PHOTO 2024 curator Brendan McCleary described what those attending the exhibition can expect.

“Queer PHOTO celebrates 17 LGBTQIA+ artists, each in their own way using queer thinking to consider potential scenarios that lie ahead, and how current actions and activisms are creating future realities – from advances in technology, through to responding to climate crisis, and connecting with Indigenous ways of thinking,” Mr McCleary said.

“There is a beautiful community found within these works, highlighting the incredible ways in which queer voices are shaping a better tomorrow.”

Wyndham Art Gallery, Werribee Mansion and Werribee Station will host events in Wyndham, while the Substation, Trocadero Art Space, The Outside Gallery and Footscray Community Arts Centre are the venues in Hobsons Bay.

Among exhibiting artists are Queer Wiradjuri woman Karla Dickens who will use black humour to interrogate race, gender and injustice in ‘To See or Not to See’ at Werribee Park Mansion and Peter Waples-Crowe will perform ‘Affirm’ based on his 25 years as a community health worker within Aboriginal and LGBTQIA2+ communities, at Werribee Station.

For more information visit: www.midsumma.org.au

Cade Lucas