Sorry, but I’m Not Sorry
Queer Imagination: Photo series by Béla Váradi
In our society, the consumption of visual information is often shaped by algorithms that encourage a one-sided representation. Those who benefit from structural inequalities often control the spread of these images, reinforcing existing stereotypes and interpretations. How can photography challenge one-sided truths, particularly around identity? Societal norms often encourage adherence to dichotomies, shun ambivalence, and lead to misinterpretation. Béla Váradi’s vibrant photo series, however, challenges these stereotypes by showing the journey of LGBTQIA+ individuals within the Sinti, Roma, and Traveller (GRT)* communities who proudly embrace ‘both’ aspects of their identity. This dynamic interaction means that photographs are not static documents of truth, but rather expressions of different realities. “Sorry, but I’m Not Sorry” is a photographic tribute to resilience and identity that allows us to move from individual and autobiographical narratives to collective biographies and memories.
Exhibition view “Sorry, but I’m Not Sorry. Queer Imagination: photo serie by Béla Váradi,” photography on paper. © Nihad Nino Pušija
During the vernissage Alexey Kokhanov performed Cruising Ship (2024) which is based on the question of how sexual desire can influence the environment. Kokhanov’s performance explores the theme of queer cruising as a strategy for claiming and occupying spaces. Kokhanov reproduces the song of mating nightingales and mixes it with electronic sounds, backing tracks, melodies and texts by Eileen Myles, W. Shakespeare and David Lynch to create an immersive soundscape. With this exhibition, the Kai Dikhas Foundation celebrates the rich diversity of identities in the art and culture of the Sinti and Roma.
Exhibition view “Sorry, but I’m Not Sorry. Queer Imagination: photo serie by Béla Váradi,” photography on paper. © Nihad Nino Pušija
With this exhibition, the Stiftung Kai Dikhas (Romanes: “Place of Seeing”) celebrates the diverse identities within the art and culture of the Sinti and Roma.
The foundation also organizes exhibitions, art workshops, and publishes limited editions. Exhibitions by the Stiftung Kai Dikhas have been showcased in Paris (2016), Prague (2017), Madrid (2017), and Granada (2018), as well as at the Academy of Arts in Berlin (2019), the 58th Venice Biennale (2019), the Mucem in Marseille (2023), IVAM in Valencia (2024), and “Personal Structures” in Venice (2024).
This exhibition takes place as part of the collaboration with the EMOP Festival.
Performance by Alexey Kokhanov. © Nihad Nino Pušija
Curated by Dr. Álvaro Garreaud
Co-Curator: Merel Maan Galama
Curatorial assistance: Diana Nowak
