

Absolutely Queer at the Powerhouse
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 f