Levenslijnen: Queer stories in picture

Being yourself, loving freely, and living authentically — it’s what everyone wants. But sadly, it’s still far from a given for many. BredaPhoto and Pride Photo are joining forces to pay tribute to the life stories of queer individuals who choose their own path, often against the current, and sometimes only later in life.

With five powerful photo projects by international artists, new work from photography students, and an outdoor exhibition, BredaPhoto and Pride Photo aim to inspire a broad audience — including queer people and allies — to celebrate diversity together.

Five remarkable photo projects:

I Remember Everything

I Remember Everything is a long-term project about the 35-year friendship between Danny Abood and photographer Julie Sundberg. Julie’s photos capture Danny at pivotal moments in his life: as a beautiful young man, in drag, struggling with addiction, living with an HIV-positive diagnosis, on his deathbed after a battle with cancer, and all the moments in between.

Dead Family

When Andrés Gregorio Pérez revisited their personal family albums, they realized that their true self was missing from the images. Pérez set out to change that. Dead Family is an artistic exploration of the role of the family archive, created together with participants from the LGBTQIA+ community.

Invisible Border

With Invisible Border, Chiara Fabbro pays tribute to Dimitri, who walks with her head held high in a stunning red dress through their hometown on the Greek island of Lesbos. Her photos show the joyful outcome of a lifelong struggle against conservative parents, villagers, and mental health issues to finally be able to live as her true self.

The Gay Space Agency

Since its founding in 1958, NASA actively excluded potential employees and astronauts based on their sexuality. Although NASA launched a dedicated LGBTQIA+ program in 2016, none of the approximately 600 astronauts who have gone to space have been openly queer. With The Gay Space Agency, Mackenzie Calle humorously critiques the exclusion of queer astronauts.

Mit Euren Spuren

For Mit Euren Spuren — which translates to “With Your Footprints” — a collective of six photographers, brought together by Francesco Giordano, collaborated with eight queer seniors. Out of fear of social stigma and discrimination, many had hidden their sexual identities and never had the opportunity to share their experiences. This project puts their stories in the spotlight.

This last project, Mit Euren Spuren, will receive a special continuation for BredaPhoto x Pride Photo: Francesco Giordano will work with five photography students to spotlight the lives of five queer residents of Breda. The outcomes of this collaboration will be presented alongside the other works in Clublokaal and the project space of the Chassé Theater.

Additionally, the Pride Photo 2025 outdoor exhibition will be on view in Breda’s city center during the same period. BredaPhoto is also partnering with the literary festival Tilt, including a letter-writing project inspired by the images from the exhibitions.

Together, these projects form an interdisciplinary mini-festival combining photography, literature, and performances in the heart of the city to celebrate queer life.

In-depth programming and special activities

As BredaPhoto visitors have come to expect, we are offering a rich accompanying program. In collaboration with Pride Photo, Tilt, and various cultural partners in the city, we are organizing film screenings, artist talks, workshops, guided tours, and a special edition of the care home project ‘Joost’s Suitcase’.

There is also an educational program for secondary schools and vocational education. Please visit the BredaPhoto website for more information. Full details about all activities will be announced in the weeks leading up to the opening.

This project is made possible with support from the municipality of Breda, the Chassé Culture Fund, the province of North Brabant, and Brabant C.

Locations: Clublokaal, project space Chassé Theater, Breda city center
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The following opening hours apply to Clublokaal and the Chassé Theater project space.
The outdoor locations can be visited 24 hours a day.