I AM THE FIRST LESBIAN I EVER MET (IATFLIEM) was commissioned by Intermedia Art Institute (IMAI) Düsseldorf for the public program, Circulating Copies 2023-2024. The work was inspired by a visit to an old age facility and conversation with queer employees and residents during a site visit in November 2023. IATFLIEM uses portraits of queer and lesbian elders in the Düsseldorf and surrounding area, interspersed with footage of Ohio lesbian elders (Older Lesbians Organizing for Change Columbus chapter), blue water and smoke as we attempt to craft a spell that will connect us to our elders and make visible existence as gendered woman, queer, old. Curator Nele Kaczmarek states, “In the work created for Circulating Copies, Dani and Sheilah ReStack have expanded their sphere of activity. Following discussions with local initiatives, the artists got to know a number of queer and lesbian senior citizens in Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Ohio, whom they then portrayed in video sequences. Prominently presented on the façade of Kunsthalle Düsseldorf and several info screens throughout the city, I AM THE FIRST LESBIAN I EVER MET presents queer ancestors whose commitment and activism have paved the way for future generations, even though they are still underrepresented in public space and discourse.”
With thanks to everyone involved in the videos, Claudia Büchels, Eva Bunjy, Pam Jackson, Rosie Prince, Julia Scher, Margarete Schleicher, and Dorte Kretschmar, whose commitment made the project possible.
