Catch ‘Photographing The Female’ Today - A Testament To The Roles Of Modern Women

To be a woman in the modern world is to be a warrior. Around every turn is a new challenge, ready to destabilise, discourage and stigmatise your very being. In the face of these repressive elements, it’s become more important than ever to voice your opinion and take a stand. But when marching through the streets and screaming yourself hoarse yields no visible results, where can you turn? For Sarah Høilund, the answer is photography, and to share this belief she decided to curate an exhibition that used the power of images to give her message a new life.

The project ‘Photographing the Female’ is a trans-national exhibit that explores the nuances of female identity through the lenses of contemporary artists. It examines the diverse roles women play and gives a platform to their experience. The powerful project has now come to Mumbai for the FOCUS Photography Festival and in collaboration with Matilde Søes Rasmussen and Poulomi Basu, Sarah has put together something of a visual masterpiece.

The exhibit is designed to explore the space between photography, memory and identity, the power of visual cues to unlock the archives of human memory. This ties in perfectly to the theme of 2017’s FOCUS Festival – Memory, where they are attempting to showcase how deeply intertwined the medium is with our knowledge of the past and whether our reliance on it will alter our collective future.

In the hopes of broadening their audience they are collaborating with renowned Indian photographer, Raghu Rai for a special issue of his bi-monthy photography magazine ‘Creative Image’. The publication aims to showcase the very best visual art from across the world and foster the spirit of creative expression. This very special March issue dedicated to ‘Photographing the Female’ is in stores now.

We caught up with Sarah to find out more about the project.

Homegrown: How and why did you first conceptualise ‘Photography the Female’?

Sarah Høilund: The overall theme of this year’s edition of FOCUS is memory which made me reflect on the nature of photographs and how much power they have over our social memory and identity. I’ve always been concerned with the place and role of females in society so it made sense to do a project that focused on female narratives in photography. It’s a way of commenting on how we tell stories and how important it is that we not only include marginalised groups but push them to the forefront of social storytelling.

HG: How did you go about curating the artists for the FOCUS Festival showcase?

SH: I really wanted to bring photographers into the project who challenge not only typical notions of female identity but also the photographic medium. There were some photographers who were on my list already at the beginning but then came a long process of researching and getting the right group together that all use the camera to speak differently on the topic. I got a lot of input from Poulomi Basu in the beginning who mostly moves in the documentary/political space and then I engaged my friend Matilde Søes who is a fine art photographer and whose taste I trust completely. The combination of the three of us meant that I could really out together a diverse group but who are no more different than all speaking about a contemporary female experience.

HG: As a global project, what message do you hope to bring to Indian audiences?

SH: It’s just as much meant for a global audience and overall I think one of the main points is to show people that female identity is a completely fluid concept that’s as global as it is individual. Of course they are things specific to cultures but in a contemporary world of constant information and image exchange and subsequently constant exchange of identities across borders everywhere.

HG: What can people expect to learn from the Focus exhibition?

SH: I really want people to understand how diverse the female experience is but that societal notions and traditions still hold a tight grip on all of us, which is extremely dangerous and the root of much of the misery females face around the world. Having said that there’s also humour in the show and anyone who is interested in photography can get inspired by the many different ways the photographers in the show are using the camera.

For a more in-depth look at this groundbreaking exhibit join Sarah for a curated walk on March 16. For more details click here.

Photographing The Female will be on display at the FOCUS Festival until the 23rd of March