A real city map is created by people who live there. It is not the topography, but the meaning of certain points on the map that is the key to discovering places where you just want to spend time, and sometimes even to discovering yourself. This is what happened to 85-year-old Andrzej Szwan who found his alter ego – the drag queen Lulla La Polaca – in the nooks and crannies of communist Warsaw.
Warsaw Queer Map was created under his guidance. The oldest living Polish drag icon takes us on a sentimental journey through the meeting spots of the Warsaw gay community over the last five decades. The images allow us to immerse ourselves in the history of places that no longer exist, but the knowledge of how they functioned in the past is invaluable for understanding how Warsaw’s queer culture has evolved. Due to the inclusive nature of the project, the map can be expanded with new stories so that the history of gay people and their narrative in urban space continues to be updated.
Project developed as part of the Sputnik Photos mentoring programme.
