Queer Underground, organised and curated by the queer student association Spotlight, sheds light on the multiple layers of queer identities and the intricate, “underground” connections to one’s cultural roots, heritage, and past experiences. The exhibition, featuring artworks by seven queer artists, invites you to reflect on the wide variety of experiences under the “queer” umbrella and their complex, intimate, entangled, and situated realities.

Join us on March 10 for the festive opening of Queer Underground.

Exhibition opening: programme

17.15 - 17.45 Conversation Panel
17.45 - 18.00 Poetry reading
18.00 - 19.00 Drinks

Practical information

The exhibition opening will take place at VOX-POP (Binnengasthuisstraat 9), ground floor, on Tuesday 10 March from 17.00 - 19.00. Everyone is welcome, but due to limited capacity we kindly ask you to register.

After the opening, the exhibition will be available to everyone from Monday through Friday 10.00 - 17.00. Visiting address is the same stated above.

Curatorial team

Marilina Giannakakou (she/her) is an aspiring curator currently completing her BA in Cultural Studies. She is interested in exploring the potential of art and artists to tell stories that might otherwise remain unheard, with a particular focus on structurally oppressed communities. Her curatorial research and practice are grounded in the framework of curatorial activism and engage themes such as community and care. As a curator and co-supervisor of Queer Underground, she was responsible for the exhibition’s thematic and narrative design, the selection of artworks, task coordination, spatial storytelling, and overall exhibition production, as well as communication with the team and participating artists.

Ksawery Dutkiewicz (any pronouns) is a prospective curator and museologist currently following UvA’s Ancient Studies BA program. They aim to draw on their background in art and accessibility to help make museums more inclusive and accessible to all. He juggles the rest of his time between his thesis and his tasks as Spotlight's secretary. As curator and co-supervisor of the Queer Underground exhibition, she is responsible for facilitating the exhibition’s development, curating artist submissions, and managing both internal and external communications.

Deborah Ferrari is in her first year of the Master’s in Art and Performance Research at UvA, with a background in communication within the arts. Her practice is rooted in contemporary art and curatorial research, approaching exhibition-making as a space for dialogue between artworks, audiences, and institutions. She focuses on socially engaged practices and experimental exhibition formats, with particular attention to experience-based design and accessibility. As one of the curators of the Queer Underground exhibition, she works closely with the artists and the team to shape and develop the exhibition.

Selin Özel is a second-year Media and Culture student at the University of Amsterdam with experience in curation, visual storytelling, and performance. Drawing on a background in photography, dance, and audiovisual editing, she approaches exhibition-making as an immersive process that connects narrative, space, and embodied experience. As one of the curators of the Queer Underground exhibition, she is responsible for the exhibition layout, poster design, and social media promotion.

Ai Zhong is an MA student in Comparative Literature at the University of Amsterdam. Their research and practice engage with viscerality, non-humans, boredom, the ballroom scene, and drag culture. With experience in performance and audiovisual production, they approach curation as the creation of an invitation to multicultural storytelling, contributing to promotion, artist selection, and commissioning.

About Spotlight

Spotlight is the queer student association operating with UvA Pride and open to all students in Amsterdam. Their ongoing projects include the gender-affirming clothing campaign GenderSwap, the informational campaign ENGAGE!, and the Queer Cinephile Society. They also regularly organise social and cultural events for queer community building.