symbols

Most people are familiar with the origins of the Pride flag and how the rainbow became associated with the LGBTQ+ community since the 1970s and its original design by Gilbert Baker, Lynn Segerblom and James McNamara in San Francisco. However, what is less known is how the rainbow has evolved since this time. At the backdrop of the legalization of gay marriage in the United States in 2015, the Trump presidency between 2016 and 2020 was marked by a time of tension, hatred and violence against people from the LGBTQ+ community, especially from

alt-right religious groups.

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From the banning of Pride flags at U.S. Embassies internationally for Pride Month to the prevalence of Gay Pride Flag Burnings across the world, these acts of hostility question our ethics and morality as a society and the relationship between Church and State. Are these acts of vandalism simply micro-aggressions or should we take them more seriously as hate crimes? What do we value as a community and these questions of censorship and expression? Looking beyond the context of Union Chapel, what is the role of religious venues in influencing public opinion and creating social change? Is there a grey area and more than what we see?

The rainbow has been caught in-flux, torn between its origins as a symbol of peace, solidarity, hope and natural beauty to a symbol marked by anti-gay hatred and oppression. Following the death of Gilbert Baker in 2017 and the use of the rainbow as a symbol of the NHS in 2020, A Brief History of Rainbows (2021) investigates the status of the rainbow as a gay symbol with renewed interest and urgency. Created as part of Guillaume Vandame's artist residency at Union Chapel, London between November 2020 and February 2021, the work combines various forms of narrative and storytelling including archival footage, news clips, image, and a new original performance in collaboration with celebrated American musician, Kelly Halloran, who has  performed regularly at Union Chapel.