Curators' statement: It would have been easy to applaud the artworks exhibited as a new critical departure from the –almost– too conventional way of seeing queer art. Yet, the greatness of this exhibition lies in the actual absence of greatness. This does not claim that these works are not excellent nor that nothing or nobody is truly special, but rather we understand that all moments, all experiences, all types of joy, and disappointments are equally relevant or even equally insignificant. They all “coalesce like paint or photographic chemicals into the image of a life, and that is good enough”. We instead praise the manifold and complex beauty of queer and feminist art as objects themselves of criticism. They want us to question our understanding of art/life by simply being confronted with radical or intimate points of view. They critically ask to be critiqued. For this reason, we ask to dwell within them as they are, to take them home and fight with them; make peace with them or not. The sentimentalist tendency would negate the possibility of criticism of queer objects, due to their marginalized birth. In turn, by simply allowing these artworks to be seen as they are, fragile or invulnerable, they conquer respect and intimacy. The untouchable artwork desires to be hugged. The delicate task of curating a queer exhibition also consisted of gathering queer perspectives under the same roof. Who are we to decide anyone’s queerness? Or to which degree queerness is manifested in their work. Lust*Art finds its beginning here, in the critical space where queer sensibilities lie, where we acknowledge our limits as curators deciding that the power of queer art lies in this precise spot of its vulnerability. We are not framing queerness, but we are embracing its diverseness with pride. photographs by Alessandra Leta