MILK SOLO: Take Eyes First: Reimagining Lesbian Cruising

What is private, or public, and how this dynamic relates to safety is up to debate. Drawing on historical contexts, theoretical insights, and personal experiences, Aniela Kurkiewicz offers a critical counter narrative to male-dominated culture. The fictional scenario of lesbian cruising examines the political control exerted over bodies and sexuality in relation to space. 

The queer world is full of social codes and projected intents. Faced with the threat of discrimination and societal ostracism, queer women have traditionally found connection and intimacy within private spaces such as lesbian bars and house parties. 
The series questions these conventions, imagining an alternate environment where lesbians seek partners openly, claiming public territories as their own. As a result, landscapes of Amsterdam’s Oosterpark, a historical cruising area, are combined with scenes of affectionate encounters between non-male individuals. The presented story does not align with reality, but rather with emotional truths that explore the search for belonging and security.

Aniela Kurkiewicz is an interdisciplinary artist-photographer based in Rotterdam / Antwerp. Her main areas of interest revolve around conceptual art, intersectional feminism, visual semiotics, and queer archives.

The opening of Take Eyes First: Reimagining Lesbian Cruising will take place on March 7th between 18:00 and 21:00 in Cafe MILK. 

Discover Aniela Kurkiewicz

This MILK SOLO is made possible by the Mondriaan Fund.