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CODED

QUEER

CODED QUEER is a digital exploration of how queer identifiers, past and present, might evolve within an increasingly virtual world. Blending historic artefacts and speculative visuals, this collection invites new conversations around identity, community, and resistance in a digital future.

Queer communities have always found ways to signal each other, from a subtle wink to a scream of protest. From the secret language of bandana codes to the proud defiance of pride, expressions of identity have long woven through hidden and celebrated fashion symbols alike. In exploring a future dominated by augmented and virtual realities, CODED QUEER asks: How will a friend of Dorothy find their kin in the metaverse? Like fashion trends, will history’s codes repeat themselves, reborn through new mediums?

At the heart of the collection is a dialogue between the past and the possible. Pride badges and vintage tees, sourced directly from a visit to the Bishopsgate LGBTQIA+ Archives, sit alongside speculative designs like QR code bandanas and Queer avatars; playful, provocative ideas of a digital tomorrow. Through animations, interactive storytelling and immersive visual experiences, CODED QUEER reflects on how community, protest, and visibility are reshaped when our lives blend ever more deeply with virtual worlds.

Queer identifiers have always been a means of survival, celebration, and connection. In today’s globalised digital landscape, where physical and virtual realities intertwine, our need for community is greater, and more urgent than ever. CODED QUEER is a vibrant call to imagine new revolutions, new safe spaces, and new futures for us all.

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