CFP: ‘Queer Sanctity: Contemporary Visions of Medieval and Renaissance Art’, deadline 15 March 2026

Edited by Bryan C. Keene • Riverside City College; formerly Getty Museum

Different Visions invites proposals for contributions to a forthcoming special issue, “Queer Sanctity: Contemporary Visions of Medieval and Renaissance Art.” Find out more about this edition on their website. 

This volume will take the form of a virtual and imaginary exhibition catalogue examining the ways queer- and trans-identifying contemporary artists working in North America over the last forty years have drawn on medieval and Renaissance visual and material culture (ca. 500–1600 CE) to imagine inclusive futures and advocate for justice in LGBTQIA2+ communities. By juxtaposing historical objects with contemporary works, this issue seeks to interrogate the continuities and ruptures across time in how sanctity, sexuality, and gender identity are represented, perceived, and contested.

The art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe has inspired creators of the LGBTQIA2+ communities in North America for decades. Themes of religion, the body, disease, and human relationships under the law are as urgent now as they were in the past. This project brings together historical objects made from about 500-1600 with contemporary art from the 1980s to today with the goal of deepening an understanding of gender and sexuality across time and the draw queer- and trans-identifying creators today have with these time periods.

The diversity of queer and trans artists included emphasizes intersectionality, that is, how individuals, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) or with multiple intersecting identities of (dis)ability, class, gender, race, religion, and sexuality face marginalization, prejudice, and discrimination. Some of the narratives related to HIV/AIDS and hate crimes are painful and may be triggering. Stories of coming out and pride offer hope for a future of care, inclusion, and justice. All are welcome and invited to reflect, question, admire, and heal.

“Queering” the past has revealed histories that have been erased or censored, while destabilizing cis-heteronormative frameworks that still dominate both medieval studies and museum practice. In pairing premodern art with works by contemporary artists, Queer Sanctity aims to deepen discourse around gender, sexuality, and sacred art.

We envision including works by the following artists (listed alphabetically), with the possibility for revision as the project develops: Ron Athey, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cassils, Jordan Eagles, Rubén Esparza, Robert Flynt, Gabriel García-Roman, Daniel Goldstein, Félix González-Torres, Keith Haring, Kang Seung Lee, Alma Lopez, Robert Mapplethorpe, Julie Mehretu, Meredith Monk, Kent Monkman, Carlos Motta, Rashaad Newsome, Catherine Opie, Jacolby Satterwhite, Andy Warhol, and Kehinde Wiley.

Submissions

We welcome contributions from art historians, medievalists, curators, artists, and scholars working across disciplines. Submissions may take the form of:

• Scholarly essays (2,000–8,000 words)
• Shorter position pieces or artist statements (1,500–3,000 words)
• Case Study or Museum Exhibition Catalogue-Style Entry (shorter contributions)
• Interviews, reflections, or multimedia formats – we welcome your creativity!

To express interest in contributing to this project, please fill out this form by March 15, 2026. A zoom meeting will follow to explore possibilities as a group, with this tentative timeline: abstracts for proposed contributions due early fall 2026, full text due winter 2027, publication late 2027.

Find out more about the submission process on their website. 

For questions or informal discussion of ideas, feel free to reach out to the special issue editor: Bryan C. Keene: bryan.keene@rcc.edu