The question of BEING is one of humanity’s most fundamental questions.
WHO am I, WHAT am I, WHY am I?
Unfortunately, today this question is still accompanied by the addendum, “Why can’t I BE who I am?” Society expects people to “come out” so it can then pass judgment.
The photo art project “BEING” addresses this issue and portrays twelve queer people, simply in their BEING, just as they are, without having to explain themselves.
Three images were created of each person:
- a head portrait on its own
- a full-body portrait
- a portrait of the person in their essence.
The images are monochrome, each rendered in one of the colors of the rainbow, and were lovingly handcrafted on fragile glass plates using a 160-year-old wooden camera.
In the exhibition, the works are grouped into three categories—“Head,” “Body,” and “Person”—each comprising twelve images. Only when viewed together do they shine as a single, grand rainbow. The viewer is thus prompted to grapple with the question “Which body belongs to which head?” and to reflect on the person’s identity.
Profound quotes from each person complement the photographs and encourage reflection.
In addition to the portraits, the participants offer deep insights into their BEING, their journey of self-discovery with all its ups and downs, the fears and prejudices they had to contend with, and how they overcame them.
The photographs and the twelve stories are compiled in the book “SEIN” (ISBN 978-3-903028-99-9) – only in German available.
The book appeals equally to queer people and to all people of good will who wish to take an honest look at the essence of queer people, and it builds bridges toward greater understanding and acceptance.
Past locations of BEING:
04/2025 BEING at the Old City Hall in Linz/Austria
04/2025 BEING at the LGBTIQ Forum of the City of Linz/Austria
June–September 2025: BEING at OK Offenes Kulturhaus Linz/Austria
Starting May 2026: BEING at Galerie ERIS, Johann-Wilhelm-Klein-Straße 53, 4040 Linz/Austria
The main project partner was the Rainbow Cities Network of the LGBTIQ* Office of the City of Linz.
BEING goes on Tour – An Invitation to Encounter and Collaboration
The BEING exhibition is mobile and not tied to a single location. It is designed so that it can be easily displayed in urban spaces, cultural centers, galleries, schools, or public institutions.
With BEING, you bring a project to your city that:
- raises awareness of queer realities
- promotes dialogue between generations, communities, and the public
- facilitates workshops and accompanying programs (e.g., with students or in the form of artist talks)
- and thus makes a lasting contribution to diversity, acceptance, and social cohesion.
We cordially invite cities, government agencies, cultural institutions, educational institutions, and companies throughout Austria and beyond to host the exhibition—and thereby send a strong message of humanity, diversity, and respect.
Interested? Then we look forward to hearing from you!
BEING is an invitation. To feel, to see, to listen.
And above all: to understand.
That was BEING - Exhibition Opening and Book Launch on April 23, 2025, at the Old City Hall in Linz/Austria
An Evening Full of Magic, Humanity, and Connection
It was an evening that will resonate for a long time to come—the opening reception for the SEIN exhibition on April 23 at the Old City Hall in Linz was a deeply moving experience. Almost all of the participants portrayed were in attendance and filled the room with their presence, their courage, and their dignity. The photographs—each one a work of art—shone in the diversity of the rainbow, and together they radiated a power that touches, uplifts, and inspires.
