About The Exhibition
Belfast Exposed presents Portrait of Belfast, an original photographic project and exhibition that celebrates the people who make up contemporary Belfast.
Planned to accompany Portrait of Humanity Vol. 5 in Gallery I, Portrait of Belfast features over 300 black and white images that include staged studio portraits, environmental street photography and images submitted by members of the public. Displayed in Gallery II, these beautiful examples of noir-style portraiture evoke a strong sense of the city’s diverse communities.
A mixture of documentary and portraiture photography, Portrait of Belfast features both crafted photographs taken in our studio and documentary street photography submitted by photographers, both taken in a retro-noir style (examples of which can be seen above). The exhibition incorporates social, political and cultural themes that reflect where Belfast stands today, as a city shaped but not defined by its past.
In order to capture a cross-section of Belfast’s citizens, Belfast Exposed issued an open call, both for submissions of images and for subjects to sit for portraits. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with over 300 images either submitted by photographers or taken in our studio. In addition, we also invited a number of notable public figures with a connection to Belfast to sit for environmental portraits. These featured individuals in an environment of their own choosing. Somewhere that had a particular significance either to themselves or their relationship with Belfast. The range of figures who took part in these portraits was staggering.
Within the images that make up Portrait of Belfast, you’ll find musicians, writers, comedians, politicians, activists, artists, teachers, social workers, carers, parents, children and more. People from all ages and backgrounds.
The resulting collection is a portrait of the people who make up Belfast today, reflecting both the city's history and future.
Portrait of Belfast runs from Thursday 10th August to Saturday 23rd September in Gallery II.
The Artists
Various
Portrait of Belfast is comprised of images produced by Belfast Exposed staff, as well as those submitted by Belfast-based photographers and artists.
Artists who submitted work are Eslam Abd El Salam, Stuart Bailie, Daryl Ball, Arah Beatriz, Sara Beatty, Teresa Cook, Peter Dowling, Cormac Eire, Abbie Fittis, Roger Ford-Hutchinson, Emmy Gribbon, Fiona Haughey, Mark Hudson, Andrew Jones, Donna Lennon, Lorna Marie Donnelly, Steve Martin, Kalou McBride, Erin McManus, Laoise McMillan, Sarah Miskelly, Alan Montgomery, Noel Mulchay, Patrick O'Loan, Cecile Poirrier, Jonny Roberts, Emma Ross, Edmund San Salvador, Annabelle Steen, Cade Suing, Peter Vicente, John Waid, and Catherine Woods
Content Production on behalf of Belfast Exposed was carried out by Adam Bradley, Peter Dowling. Leonardo Laperna, Conor O'Brien, Claudio Picco, Pete Ramsay, Mervyn Smyth and Patrick Thompson.
Acknowledgements
The Belfast Exposed is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council. In addition, we would also like to thank Cathy Brennan-Bradley and Shelley Lowry.