Close Looking Guide: Queer African Art
- Mark Auslander
- a few seconds ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago
This educational initiative edited by Mark Auslander, Russell Smith, and Paul Emmanuel, is a collaboration between the Tour de Force Foundation, Partners for Historical Justice LLC, and students in Dr. Mark Auslander’s course Gender, Sexuality and Culture (Anth 215) at American University.
Together, we explore selected works from the exhibition Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, as well as artists from across Africa and the African diaspora whose practices move within and beyond conventional gender binaries.
Hosted by the Tour de Force Foundation, this guide invites you to share your reflections, responses, or images.
About the Project
The Here project includes:
The exhibition Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art (January 23 – August 23, 2026), curated by Kevin D. Dumouchelle and Serubiri Moses
A forthcoming catalogue, Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art, published by Smithsonian Books (June 2026)
An ongoing research initiative exploring LGBTQ+ artistic production
How This Art Guide Works
You can explore artworks through themes such as Action and Family, tracing connections across different experiences and ideas, or browse all artworks together using the Explore All Artworks button to discover unexpected relationships across the collection.
The guide is organized around eight themes developed by the exhibition curators:
ACTION
Artists exploring visibility, resistance, and the politics of presence.
A page is devoted to each artwork, inviting you to look closely, reflect, and explore further. Move between observation, interpretation, and deeper context at your own pace.
Note
This project is in dialogue with the artists and curators of Here, but is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution or the National Museum of African Art.
This guide also connects with the Tour de Force Foundation’s Re-envisioning Blackness series, which explores public art in Washington, DC.
Comments