Soup Session by Denys Shantar
invited by research group ArchiVolt
Tuesday 11 March 2025, 12:30-14:00
at the Research Room, Academy
"From September 2023 to September 2024, I worked on my project “God Save the Queers – The (not so) Secret Life of Saints”. The project evolved after I realized that my original idea of finding queer saints wasn’t aligned with my intentions. I found it problematic to impose post-mortem sexuality on saints, who are already being used by the church for their own agenda. Instead, I focused on reclaiming the saints by giving them back their humanity, removing them from the divine, and addressing the ambivalence of my own identity.
My research book became a tool to archive and categorize saints, which I used to explore themes of ambiguity and identity. This led to the creation of works like the large-scale pieces depicting saint couples, symbolizing aspects of my personal life.
I also created an in situ work called “The Chapel of the Beloved Disciple,” which reimagined a chapel to reflect the queer relationship between Saint John the Evangelist and Jesus. The work explored religious spaces outside the church context. My project culminated in this final piece, tying together the exploration of saints, identity, and a space for reflection and healing.
Moving forward, I aim to evolve my practice by incorporating sculptural elements, costumes, and performative aspects inspired by religious traditions. The project, now titled “God Save the Queer(s),” represents this ongoing journey of self-discovery and healing."
- Denys Shantar
(image: detail from the research book of Denys Shantar)