Gomma Photography Grant 2021
S/KIN BERLIN: 52.49° N, 13.42° E
Photographer
Alexa Vachon
S/KIN BERLIN: 52.49° N, 13.42° E
04 Feb, 2022
"S/KIN BERLIN: 52.49° N, 13.42° E is about people and bodies in revolt. The images focus on the body as a site of rebellion, through which to interrogate themes of power, oppression, agency and opposition. It considers what we do to our bodies (consensually and non-consensually) but also how our bodies can become subjects at the hands of others".
"Inspired by my own physical limitations at the beginning of this research, the photographs were made over the course of six weeks, in one room in Berlin; the container mirroring the restrictions of my body. The work was created through intimate collaboration with the participants, each of whom brought their own experiences to the stage. "
About the photographer
Alexa Vachon
Alexa Vachon is an image maker and visual storyteller whose work focuses on themes including agency, addiction, the body, feminist pornography, trauma, queer identity, power structures, and ethical responsibilities in visual representation. She’s drawn to issues that she has personal experience with, connecting with those who often don’t fit neatly into society’s boxes. After many years in New York (BFA, School of Visual Arts), Berlin (Meisterklasse, Ostkreuzschule), and The Hague (MA, Photography & Society), she recently relocated to Toronto to pursue her PhD research on the issues of ongoing and evolving consent in photographic representation. She has a diverse creative identity – working commercially, editorially, and on long-term personal projects, her images can be found in exhibitions, in magazines, on billboards, and in her books. Vachon’s practice is driven by a desire to connect with people and she actively works to find the balance between learning, listening, and fair representation and dissemination methods in visual storytelling.
