Queer Horizons*
*Youth leading the way
*Youth leading the way
On Friday 11 October, Coming-Out Day, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam is opening the exhibition Queer Horizons. Voices of a new generation in the Stadsgalerij. Through art and the participants’ stories, this exhibition explores the theme of queer identity. Together with artist Leon Stoffelen, ten young people from Schiedam and Rotterdam reflect on both Schiedam’s LGBTQA+ past and their own identities and futures. The exhibition also highlights the life of Jillis Bruggeman, perhaps the most well-known person in Schiedam’s LGBTQA+ history. On the same day, his story will also be added to Panorama Schiedam, the permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of the city.
Truly being yourself in the past, the present and the future
In 1803, Schiedam’s Jillis Bruggeman was the last person in the Netherlands to be sentenced to death for having sexual relations with men. Although his trial is well documented, one important question remains unanswered: Who was Jillis Bruggeman really? The Stedelijk Museum Schiedam has done extensive research into the life of Jillis Bruggeman in an attempt to get to know the man behind the trial. Visitors can discover his story through documents and objects from the period.
A group of ten queer young people (aged between 14 and 22) from Schiedam and the surrounding area, alongside artist Leon Stoffelen, also contemplate the future. What does it mean to be queer today, and what will it mean in the future? Together with Stoffelen, they have incorporated their answers to these questions into an artwork about the exploration of their own identity. In a 12-metre-long collage and video installation, they tell their own story and reflect on the life of Jillis Bruggeman. In this pastel-coloured safe space, surrounded by soft cushions, this group of young people transport you to the future they dream of.
‘Queer is actually a kind of resistance to the world around us. It is an ideal you see on the horizon.’ – Leon Stoffelen
Queer Horizons presents the search for Jillis Bruggeman’s identity while connecting it to the experiences of today’s youth, bridging the past and present.
Jillis Bruggeman’s story to get permanent place in Panorama Schiedam
In addition to the temporary exhibition Queer Horizons, the story of Jillis Bruggeman will also be given a permanent place in Panorama Schiedam, the permanent exhibition on the history of Schiedam. This step is being taken at the request of the Jillis Bruggeman Foundation, which campaigns for equal rights for LGBTQA+ people. By doing so, the museum wants to honour Jillis Bruggeman and give his story a place in the city’s long history.
‘I only knew the story of Jillis’ trial, but during my research I came to know many other sides of his life. He sold political propaganda, but he was also a real family man and a loving step-father.’ – Merel van der Vaart, city history curator
Coming-Out Day and presentation of the Jillis Bruggeman Medal
The exhibition opens specially to coincide with Coming-Out Day on Friday 11 October, a day that celebrates the freedom to be open about who you are. Globally, the day highlights the moment when LGBTQIA+ individuals feel safe to reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity. On the same evening, the presentation of the Jillis Bruggeman Medal will take place in the Grote Kerk in Schiedam. Since 2015, the municipality of Schiedam has annually awarded the national Jillis Bruggeman Medal to an organisation or individual who has contributed on a national level to the acceptance of all forms of gender diversity.
This exhibition is also the prelude to I Hit You With a Flower, in which more than twenty Netherlands-based and international artists use humour, empathy and frenzied styling to challenge established norms and create a society where there is room for everyone.
Young people develop educational event for Purple Friday
Several of the young people involved in the Queer Horizons exhibition are also developing an educational event for secondary school students on Purple Friday. The theme of the day is identity and diversity, inspired by the exhibitions I Hit You With a Flower and Queer Horizons. Schools can sign up now for an unforgettable and meaningful day to celebrate together that everyone is equal! Would you like to know more about the educational event on Purple Friday? Contact Lisa Diederik at lisa@stedelijkmuseumschiedam.nl.
About the artist Leon Stoffelen
In his paintings and videos, Leon Stoffelen (1992) plays with the simulation of homoerotic and clichéd images. Drawing on sources as diverse as magazines and romantic painting, he deconstructs banal scenes into surreal, collage-like compositions. The works often find a playful balance between hiding and exposing – a reference to balancing between different worlds and versions of oneself within a heteronormative culture. The images he creates are about the desire to capture, to be seen and to touch.
My Schiedam
This exhibition is part of the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam’s social programme My Schiedam, in which the museum collaborates with local residents and organisations. Collaborations are initiated by both the museum and the people of the city. This results in meaningful programmes that we can only bring to life together. The Stadsgalerij is a dedicated space at our museum for exhibitions created in collaboration with the people of Schiedam. Queer Horizons is presented as part of History Month, Schiedam Rainbow Week and the exhibition I Hit You With a Flower.
Header image: Leon Stoffelen, Edging, oil on linen, 65 x 90 cm, 2022.