City of Rio opens queer culture center

On Saturday, the 27th, the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) gained a new cultural center dedicated to LGBT+ artistic production. Known as QueeRIOca, this is the first community art and culture reference center in Brazil, with an idea that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, conceived by the actress and founder of the theater company “Os Dezequilibrados”, Cristina Flores, and his wife, screenwriter, writer, composer and actress Laura Castro.

Before the pandemic, the couple had opened a space called Jardim, located on the terrace of their residence. However, with the arrival of the pandemic, the space had to be closed. Staying connected to the LGBT+ community and looking for ways to continue their artistic expression, Cristina and Laura began to develop QueeRIOca as an artistic residency, where artists could exchange experiences through videos, podcasts and face-to-face meetings in a safe way.

The project was registered in the first Foca – Fomento à Cultura Carioca notice, from Rio City Hall, and obtained second place, however, it did not receive funding for its execution. With the end of the pandemic, the city hall launched the Reviver Cultural Centro Project, which led Cristina and Laura to rethink QueeRIOca as a public space in the center of Rio de Janeiro, in a historic mansion. The concept was transformed into an open space for the production of LGBT+ artists, promoting artistic residencies and cultural exchange.

The inauguration of the space featured the first exhibition entitled “DiferENTRE”, an exhibition of visual arts that brings together 32 artists, marking the beginning of the activities of the QueeRIOca cultural center.

Address: Tv. do Comércio, 16 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20010-080
Telephone: (21) 98668-3025