Queer figurative art addresses the representation and role of the body, its transformative quality and its status in society. While queer people challenge the system by simply existing, their presence inside the normative institutions of museums and well-established galleries inherently creates disruption. It is then vital to fill such physical spaces, and so explicitly support queerness and queer artists: this sends a message to the audience, artists and institutions, and sets clear intentions for the future.
The choice to only feature Victoria Miro x OUT Collective on Vortic left a bitter taste in my mouth. Although I am convinced that queer art should be as accessible as possible to vast audiences, and therefore using an online outlet, I am convinced that an exhibition of this scale would have benefitted from being in a physical space.
Displaying queer art still involves making compromises, but this could hopefully be a step towards a real queering of space.
You can still catch Victoria Miro x OUT Collective online through the gallery’s website or directly on
Vortic until December 31st 2021.