Queer-ways: From Archive to Artwork

Public Record Office Victoria presents Queer-ways: From Archive to Artwork, a talk with Queer-ways co-creator LUCIANO, about how they unite design, history and community to bring to life archive materials. Queer-ways: Retracing Queer Footprints is an award-winning community arts initiative that shares the queer history of Australia, combining stories from the past and present into permanent, interactive records. Fusing archive materials with community consultation and immersive experiences, the Queer-ways initiative generates accessible ways of presenting tangible and intangible heritage to illuminate and contest mainstream narratives. Queer-ways has retraced the queer footprints of Melbourne in Augmented Reality maps, St Kilda in an interactive mural and the City of Yarra through a series of self-led audio walking tours. As part of Victoria's Pride, a collaboration between the State Government of Victoria and Midsumma, they have also charted the queer history of Mildura, Wodonga, Shepparton, Ballarat, Geelong and Daylesford to represent the often untold stories of regional Victoria's rainbow communities. LUCIANO, in conversation with Gayathri Wijesekera, founder of design and marketing agency Rik and Ralph, will explore how Queer-ways prompts audiences to engage with physical spaces with a fresh perspective, unravelling the complex relationships between people, environment, and design.

Presenter Bios

LUCIANO is a queer multidisciplinary artist that works with diverse communities to record and share their stories in accessible ways. His art practice focuses on undoing the ongoing silencing of marginalised communities and utilising the privileges he experiences to amplify the voices of others through education, creation and storytelling. LUCIANO co-founded Queer-ways: Retracing Queer Footprints with George Keats supported by the Australian Queer Archives alongside other community arts projects that also engage audiences with multi-modal experiences.

Gayathri Wijesekera is the founder of Rik and Ralph, an independent design and marketing agency based in Melbourne. Rik and Ralph specialise in modernising how local and global brands go to market, in branding, website development and growth marketing. With over 16 years of experience working for premium brands, she is passionate about leveraging technology to play a pivotal role in controlling end-to-end brand strategy to build a strong and cohesive customer experience.