When it comes down to it, fashion is totally about being seen. Combine this with the historical theatrics of queer performance and identity, and you have a spellbinding array of flamboyant, inventive and fabulous outfits made to be seen in. This is exactly what you can expect from the Powerhouse Ultimo’s Absolutely Queer exhibition, which features costumes, design, fashion and multimedia installations from Sydney’s queer creatives.
Highlights of this exhibition include its intimate focus on Sydney’s queer community, and its age-diverse cross-section of contributors. Costumes and footage from one of Sydney’s first and most prominent drag kings, the iconic Sexy Galexy, provide a glimpse into the evolution of the local queer community.
A generous platform for figures like Sexy Galexy promotes visibility for under-represented queer figures like drag kings, as opposed to drag queens, which are largely more accepted in the mainstream. There are also costumes from pioneers of the Sydney Mardi Gras such as Peter Tully, Brian Ross and Renè Rivas, and a spotlight on transgender activist and cartoonist Norrie May-Welby, who fought to be the first person in Australia to be legally recognised as neither a man or a woman.
Photograph: Powerhouse/Zan Wimberley | Sexy Galexy performance costumes in Absolutely Queer
Each artist’s work is accompanied by an anecdotal personal statement, that both pays respect to the historical alienation they experienced as a queer person, and the beauty of finding your place in an eclectic and embracing community. On the other hand, the exhibition gestures towards the new vanguard of queer creativity with contributors like conceptual demi-couture fashion house Nicol & Ford, who make gender and body diverse garments, and designer Nikita Majajas of pop art jewellery brand Doodad + Fandango.
Opening as part of Sydney WorldPride 2023, Absolutely Queer is a warm and well-curated celebration. It is effortless and enjoyable – perhaps too easily so. The exhibition feels somewhat small in its mezzanine space, nuzzled into the magnificent scale of the museum it is presented in, especially considering that it is running until December this year.
Photograph: Powerhouse/Zan Wimberley | Ron Muncaster ‘Cotton Blossom’ (1994) in Absolutely Queer
With an opportunity like this that incorporates a program of talks and performances at an eminent arts and culture institution, it is surprising that Absolutely Queer does not have a more ambitious scope. It would a be natural fit to take up more space in the lofty Powerhouse, and to expand its remit beyond the tight-knit cluster of inner-city Sydney voices to include perspectives from LGBTQ+ people who live regionally and even interstate.
As it is though, Absolutely Queer is well-worth the visit, and is one exhibition that won’t feel like a major time-suck: it’s short, sweet and free. You can extend the adventure by also exploring Paradise Camp by Yuki Kihara, a colourful body of work centered on Sāmoa’s Fa‘afafine and Fa‘atama communities.
It’s exciting to see the queer community celebrated at the Powerhouse Ultimo, which continues to establish a strong brand for amplifying diverse yet local histories through considered curation. Absolutely Queer is a thoughtfully curated celebration of the strong and sparkling personas that make up Sydney’s creative and ever-evolving queer community.
Absolutely Queer is showing at the Powerhouse Ultimo until December 2023. Entry is free. The Powerhouse is open daily from 10am-5pm, and open late on Thursdays until 9pm.
