The Institute of Queer Ecology's groundbreaking and innovative exhibition THE EARTH DOES NOT NEED US (23 June 2024 to 5 January 2025) focuses on topics such as ecology, sustainability and climate change from a queer perspective. The Institute of Queer Ecology (IQECO) is a collaborative network of artists that stands for the abolition of judgemental, binary thinking. The works of the participating artists make the omnipresent queerness in nature tangible, for example through plants that change their gender in the course of their lives. In addition to historically significant works such as ‘7000 Oaks’ (1982) by Joseph Beuys, visitors can look forward to numerous new IQECO productions in the castle, on the castle façade and in the park. A wide variety of media in the exhibition rooms, such as photowalls and videos, encourage visitors to engage with topics such as diverse ecology and inclusion.

With this exhibition, Museum Schloss Moyland is taking up what is undoubtedly the most pressing debate of our time: in view of the climate crisis, the internationally active network ‘The Institute of Queer Ecology’ (IQECO) has been invited to enter into a dialogue with Joseph Beuys' relevant works on ecology and the environment.

Both Beuys and IQECO see art as an ideal space for developing progressive visions of the future and counteracting climate change. Beuys, who co-founded ‘The Greens’ in 1979, was a nature and climate protector from the very beginning. Half a century later, the IQECO combines Beuys' avant-garde ideas with the latest currents in queer theory. The IQECO works against judgemental black-and-white thinking, such as heterosexual = natural and queer = unnatural, as well as in favour of an inclusive, tolerant, mindful and diverse ecology.

Curated by Judith Waldmann