12/06/2026
Speaker: Dr. Bryan C. Keene, Associate Professor, Riverside City College, Riverside, USA
Premodern art and manuscript cultures allow us to glimpse ideas about the body, human coupling, and the many forms of desire and intimacy. Today’s understandings of gender and sexuality find points of continuity in these histories as well as moments of striking difference. Focusing on manuscripts in the collections of the Chester Beatty, this talk moves across European, Islamic, and South Asian contexts to consider how images of devotion, companionship, and the body open up q***r and trans readings today. The talk attends to how manuscripts hold space for ambiguity and a spectrum of relationships. Join us in reflecting on the possibilities and limits of q***ring historical material, and how this framing shapes the kinds of pasts that become visible.
This online talk has been organised to mark Dublin Pride 2026.
🎟️FREE. Please register for online viewing via Zoom here: https://ow.ly/M1hK50Zb747
About the Speaker: Dr. Bryan C. Keene (they/elle/iel) is a professor of art history and theatre at Riverside City College. They are an award-winning educator and curator who developed fifteen exhibitions in their previous work at the Getty Museum and have authored or edited eight books and written over fifty articles. Their current project foregrounds q***r and trans contemporary artists who have drawn inspiration from medieval and Renaissance art. They serve on the board of directors for the Americas Research Network (ARENET) in Mexico City and have held leadership positions with various professional organizations. They hold a PhD from The Courtauld Institute of Art.
With free admission and described by the Lonely Planet as not just the best museum in Dublin, but one of the best in Europe, the Chester Beatty Library is a must-see on any Dublin visitor's itinerary.
