curated by Persona Festival
Gender Project held its first edition in London on 3 and 4 September 2019, but London is just the starting point. The project has the potential to be taken to various cities around the world with the same aim: “Gender is everyone and it is everywhere”. Gender Project is a social photography project by Veronique Charlotte, an Italian visual artist and body performer. Gender is a collection of 100 candid semi-nude portraits, linked to 100 stories, 100 emotions, 100 lives. The photographs were taken during an intimate, hour-long exchange of energy, in which the subject and the photographer voluntarily adopted an open and vulnerable stance facing one another to discuss their understanding of fluidity and identity. The project draws on the etymology of the word ‘gender’, which is only loosely associated with sex and, more broadly, derives from the Latin word for ‘kindness’. Veronique’s intention is to create a series of multimedia exhibitions featuring visual and audio installations. ‘Gender’ is a space open to all those who are happy to be part of this journey and to all those who wish to share emotions, be open to discussion and forge connections.
The exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Persona festival, a multidisciplinary event centred on the themes of gender identity and sexual orientation, with a particular focus on queer culture.
Veronique Charlotte
Veronique Charlotte is an Italian artistic director, social activist and photographer. Her early work in the field was in fashion and editorial photography. Her personal work is introspective. It focuses on the body in relation to the social environment and gives form to the thread of human connection. Her approach is experimental and performative, pushing her body and mind to their limits in search of greater clarity and liberation. She is a firm believer in collaborative working practices and education, and has worked as a British government-funded tutor at the London College of Fashion.
