On April 30, Amsterdams alderman for Social Affairs, Diversity, and Democratization Rutger Groot Wassink will open the Pride Photo exhibition at the Westermarkt in Amsterdam. This is also the start of a national tour, during which the LGBTQ+ photo exhibition will be on view at nine different locations in the Netherlands until mid-November, further visiting Groningen, Maastricht, and Assen.
Due to corona, the planned 2020 Pride Photo exhibition could not take place last November. In order to share the winning photos with the general public, it was decided to create an open-air exhibition. The exhibition consists of 20 large panels, showing the winning images of last year, and a selection of images submitted to the 2020 Pride Photo Award, where more than 2,500 photos were entered from more than 40 countries. The jury, which consisted of Viviane Sassen, Jessica Gysel, Arthur Kibbelaar, Bertan Selim and Micha Bruinvels (curator), reported that the images are “…a tribute to the diversity of the stories, human curiosity, and the plight of the global LGBTQ + community.”
In addition to the award-winning photos, additional stories have also been added to the exhibition. “The total gives a diverse insight into lives and worlds that will be new, surprising, or possibly even a bit uncomfortable for some people. This is an exhibition that will open many people’s eyes, I am convinced of that ”, says Pride Photo director Hein-Jan Keijzer. Together with guest curator Micha Bruinvels (formerly World Press Photo), high-quality photos have been selected that put various urgent topics on the agenda. For example, the loneliness that older LGBTQ+ people can experience, violence against transgender people, LGBTQ+ refugee issues, and Black Lives Matter are discussed. The exhibition also playfully confronts visitors with their own prejudices and assumptions.
The themes of each photo(series) are named in short texts on the exhibition panels. If visitors want more information, they can scan a QR code that takes them to the Pride Photo website, where they can read further information about the photographer, the work, and the general topic. Some panels also have a headset icon next to the QR code, indicating an audio clip about the photo or the theme is available to listen to.
“I think we have succeeded in setting up an accessible exhibition that encourages visitors to think about sexual and gender diversity,” says Keijzer, for whom this is his first Pride Photo exhibition since taking office in June last year. The new approach with an open-air exhibition and the national tour is significant for the ambitions of the foundation. “We hope to reach a lot more and other people with this form. Not only in Amsterdam, but throughout the Netherlands. People who do not think about prejudices and the position of the LGBTQ + community on a daily basis. I think we will succeed with this beautiful free open-air exhibition. ”
Alderman Rutger Groot Wassink: “I am delighted to be able to officially open the Pride Photo Exhibition on Friday. The exhibition is important for the visibility of the LGBTIQ + community. Due to the pandemic, many moments could not take place as we are used to. Yet we are also visible in the city, sometimes digitally and sometimes remotely, such as last year’s alternative Pride and the walk in honor of ’20 years of marriage for everyone. ‘The Pride Photo Exhibition will travel around the country in the coming period and that is something that It may be seen, but it is also a reminder that we must continue to fight for a society where everyone can be themselves.”
Opening: The small-scale opening of the Pride Photo Exhibition will take place on Friday April 30, at 4:30 PM, on the Westermarkt, near the Homomonument. Due to the corona measures, only a limited number of people can be present. The press can register via info@pridephoto.org.
Images: Via THIS LINK you will find a selection of high resolution exhibition photos that you can use for publication, with acknowledgment of the source (at least the name of the photographer).
For questions regarding the opening, the exhibition, photographers and the exhibited photos and their publication, please contact Hein-Jan Keijzer (director) via: hjkeijzer@pridephoto.org or +31(0)6-24571227.