femLENS is a non-profit association that aims to promote gender equality and social justice through photography exhibitions. To date femLENS has organised 13 exhibitions in six countries to showcase the work of our participants and educate the public on important issues. When organising our exhibitions, we follow a set of steps to ensure that our exhibitions are successful.
We determine the objective and theme of the exhibition. We carefully choose a theme that aligns with our values and mission, such as women’s empowerment or amplifying women’s voices. The objective of our exhibitions is to raise awareness and promote change, so we choose exhibits that showcase powerful and impactful photography.
We choose a venue that is accessible to our target audience and can accommodate the size and scope of their exhibition. For street exhibitions, we work with local authorities to obtain permits and choose high-traffic areas, or go guerrilla style. For traditional exhibitions, we rent spaces that are conducive to showcasing photography, or community centres. We also have experience organising two photo-hunt exhibitions (one in Balgaddy, Dublin, Ireland, and another in Narva. Estonia). For one of the exhibitions, thanks to the owners, we used local shop front windows.
We plan the layout of our exhibitions with careful consideration for the placement of exhibits and the flow of visitors.
To promote our exhibitions, we use various channels, such as social media, newsletters, and press releases. We also collaborate with local organisations to amplify our message and reach a wider audience.
Finally, we at femLENS, execute our exhibitions with precision and attention to detail. We are prepared to handle any last-minute issues and make sure that the exhibition runs smoothly.
In 2015, femLENS organised its first exhibition in Balgaddy, Dublin, which was an interactive “photo-hunt” that allowed visitors to find photos using maps. The exhibition showcased the results of the organisation’s first series of workshops, and was attended by local community members as well as other neighbours, activists from other parts of Dublin and two local councillors.
One of femLENS’ most notable exhibitions was “Transcending Obstacles,” which resulted from a series of workshops organised for women living with physical disabilities in Gdynia, Poland in 2017. The exhibition provided an intimate look at the lives of people with disabilities in Gdynia from their own perspective. The exhibition was held in a busy underground crossing outside of a busy train station and was accessible to thhousands of residents of Gdynia as well as guests of the city.
Other exhibitions organised by femLENS include a fundraiser in Klub Desdemona in Gdynia in 2018, an exhibition in Buchhandlung Cafe in Berlin, Germany in 2019, and a celebration of the organisation’s four-year anniversary in Oblomov bar in Berlin.
femLENS also collaborated with International Women Space in Berlin to hold an exhibition showcasing photographs taken by women from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds in 2019. That same year, femLENS also held a street exhibition in Alt-Treptow, Berlin organised in partnership with Die Lernwerkstat, featuring photographs made by migrant women living in Berlin.
In October 2020, femLENS organised a street exhibition and another photo-hunt in Narva, Estonia featuring work from four of our past workshop participants, and in September 2021, collaborated with the Good City project to hold a street exhibition of work from our archive.
In 2021 and 2022, femLENS held an exhibition titled “Amplifying Women’s Voices, Through Photography” at the Donegal County Museum in Ireland. The exhibition showcased a series of documentary photography projects developed by women living in Donegal.
From April to March 2022, femLENS organised a collective exhibition titled “Good People Everywhere” in Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland. The exhibition presented the work of four photographers from Ireland, Spain, and Estonia, focusing on their communities, and was funded by Dublin City Council.
And, in March 2023, femLENS organised the “Mothers at Work” exhibition in Brussels, Belgium, for the European Network of Migrant Women (ENOMW) project “Moms at work” final event. The exhibition featured women photographers and migrant mothers who participated in the project, aiming to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by migrant mothers in finding decent work.
femLENS exhibition organisational process:
- Determining the objective and theme of the exhibition.
- Choosing a venue that is accessible and accommodating to our target audience.
- Planing the layout of the exhibition with careful consideration for the placement of exhibits and the flow of visitors.
- Using various channels to promote our message, such as social media, newsletters, and press releases.
- Collaborating with local organisations to amplify our message and reach a wider audience.
- Executing our exhibitions with precision and attention to detail, ensuring that the exhibition runs smoothly.
If you or your organisation need help with curating and organising exhibition, please contact us at info(at)femlens.com
