QRAVE: The Exhibition

"An agitation, scratching at the surface of queer histories."

"QRAVE: The exhibition" unsettles colonial and binary power structures, exposing fault lines in a poised, clear-eyed exploration of queer histories that populate the Birrarung and City of Yarra.

Throughout 2024, journalist, artiste and storyteller Jessi Ryan engaged in research centred upon identifying queer histories from the City Of Yarra. QRAVE: The Exhibition presents these eight histories, from the early days of Gay Liberation in the 1970s to the many ways tragedy struck amid Melbourne lockdowns.

Visitors can use personal devices to scan eight QR Codes which unlock a series of interviews relating to these histories, told by people who were there.

Graphic murals adorn the walls of the exhibition space, painted by Ryan in just three days, and inspired by Keith Haring, whose story of painting murals in Collingwood in 1984 also features among these histories.

“Creating an exhibition which champions our communities' continued growth and challenges, has involved months of planning, research and interviews. The words you see on the exhibition walls will soon disappear: the emphasis here is on the spoken word, the interviews, and questioning how the written word seeks to contain, whereas the spoken word is there to yell, to rebelliously protest and to challenge, refusing to be silenced.”

QRAVE will transform the Convent’s STORE into an intimate space where truth is told under the nightlife beats. Passionately recounted and moving stories will blur the boundaries between embodied performance and graphic installation, holding space for intimate reflection and new connections.

As a journalist, Ryan most recently has been published by Crikey and ArtsHub. QRAVE, in both its exhibition and performance, draws upon their extensive history of published articles and interviews.

Immerse yourself in this ‘whole gallery’ experience and discover these histories via QR codes scanned and unlocked on your personal device.