The traces of lesbian and queer artistic life are numerous, at least since the 19th and 20th centuries. However, these narratives remain on the margins of conventional art history, often rendered invisible within the very biographies of the artists, forcing history to adopt a narrow perspective. AWARE proposes a series of events focusing on Lesbian and Queer Presences in the history of 19th- and 20th-century art.

In a non-chronological approach, Catherine Gonnard guides us through the 19th and 20th centuries up to the 1970s, using an extensive range of visual iconography. Marine Kisiel discusses her current research for the exhibition “Dandykes! Le dandysme au féminin au XIXe siècle” to be held at the Musée Galliera in 2026. Additionally, the  presentation by ARCL – Archives Lesbiennes, offers a practical exploration of archives from the second half of the 20th century.