It Gets Better

In our tower room, you can discover the work of visual artist Tim Vischer. His work deals with gender issues and challenges viewers with provocative images to think about clichés, prejudices, and symbols of the gay community. Tim writes: “Becoming aware of one's own homosexuality is a process that requires three ‘coming outs’: to yourself, to the gay community, and to society as a whole. It is a process of awareness, imagination, and redefinition.”

In collaboration with the Rainbow Days organization, Tim is exhibiting the work spectrum, which examines clichés and symbols of the gay community using the six colors and places them in a cultural context. Each color represents its own thematic area within which visual stories are experimented with and building blocks of culture are dissected. 

The stairwell of the tower room features the work ‘when I grow up’, a photo series that explores the conflict between working as a professional drag queen and the wishes of their parents. Tim studied at the AKI, moved to Berlin, and now lives in New York, where he works as a videographer and photographer.

Enschede Rainbow City
Since 2010, Enschede, along with 56 other municipalities, has been able to call itself a Rainbow City. Rainbow Cities are specifically committed to promoting the social acceptance, safety, and emancipation of all LGBTI+ people. Various organizations in Enschede work hard on this throughout the year. The gay men's choir Soorten&Maten will perform during the opening of the exhibition. More information about Rainbow Days and the other activities being organized can be found at: https://www.regenboogdagen.nl/

'Spectrum' is a spatial film project about the meaning of the six colors of the rainbow flag on six screens in relation to clichés and symbols within the gay community. The rainbow flag has evolved from a central symbol of recognition and affiliation for the gay community to an integral part of pop culture. However, few people inside and outside the community are aware of the meaning of the colors of the flag. The work therefore offers insight into the symbolism, clichés, and experiences of the gay community, which often remain hidden from outsiders, and contributes to a better understanding within the gay scene.

“When I Grow Up”
The photos in the series “When I grow up” show Drag Queens in workplaces where their parents dreamed of seeing their children work one day. It emphasizes their fear of not fitting in and personal problems with parents while growing up and coming out. This series shows the power of the Queens by rebelling against the normative labor market, standing up against oppression, and placing them in the spotlight they deserve.

The photos pose the question of what they would look like now if they had not chosen drag. They do not judge, but show how the Queen's personality transcends her past. Shot on location, each queen creates her own stage. This series opens the discussion about alternatives to traditional views on growing up and finding your place in the world, in a colorful and unusual way. It highlights a different kind of queer culture, free from prejudice, and shows that being open to gender fluidity can be glamorous and playful. It is crucial to realize that the characters embodied by drag queens are not just a façade, but tell us something about their background and who they really are or want to be.