“Someday things will be different – that is, normal”: Male Homoeroticism in Polish Art-Historical Narratives During the Transformation

At the turn of the 21st century, art history and art criticism in Poland approached the body – its ap-pearance, expressive potential, eroticism, gender, and sexuality – as both a symbol and a site for observing moral and political transformations. A particular focus was placed on the male body, mas-culinity, and, consequently, male homosexuality. This article examines the secondary production of Polish “gay art,“ exploring how its presence was instrumental in affirming the democratization of the public sphere. This thesis argues that, the more liberal strand of critical-artistic discourse, homosexu-ality and homoeroticism before 1989 functioned as both anti-communist expressions and as liberal formations “avant la lettre”. The primary reference point for this discussion is the curatorial work and writings of Paweł Leszkowicz in 1990s and 2000s. At the same time, I aim to analyze the normative queer subject that emerged within this discourse and consider the representations to which the Polish art scene opened itself in order to align with the dominant Western European narrative.