Amsterdam’s canals can be seen as both historically straightened infrastructures, and contemporary sites of queer resistance and celebration––particularly during the annual Canal Parade. Connecting this local example to a broader research into the straightening and queering of water bodies, René Boer reimagines these waterscapes as fluid, inclusive, and ecologically sensitive spaces in response to the ever-present climate crisis and social contestation.

René Boer works as a critic, curator and organizer in and beyond the fields of architecture, art, design and heritage, with a focus on spatial justice.