In Search of Rainbows

2022

Short film (9 min), rainbow flag, hammock hook, 4 stills from the film (20x30cm each), text (30x60cm)

Documentation photos: Tinna Ludviksdottir

Commissioned by Preus Museum (The National Museum for Photography in Norway), In Search of Rainbows investigates the situation of the queer community in north-eastern Brazil when Jair Bolsonaro was the country’s president, and how the national flag has become a symbol for the right-wing party.

Shot in Fortaleza, Brazil, in January 2022, the short film depicts my search for places that proudly displayed rainbow flags outside their premises. With the challenging political situation that dominated the country, a visible rainbow flag was a protest against the homophobic government of Bolsonaro. Through this search, I found something completely unexpected instead.

In Search of Rainbows merges political views with my own experiences. My first rainbow flag was also part of the installation. By hanging the flag on a hammock hook in the exhibition room, I referred to my coming out story and how I dealt with my Catholic family.

Part of the project – my first rainbow flag, a hammock hook, stills from the film and a poem – was shown at Preus Museum. The short film had a special screening at Oslo Negativ in the autumn 2022 and was later selected to be part of Momentum Biennale in 2023.

Curator: Hilde Herming

Diversity curator: Pål Henrik Ekern

Many thanks to Tine Adler, Emilie Wright, Robert Carter, Kaeto Sweeney and BEK – Bergen Centre for Electronic Arts.

Supported by Preus Museum.

Below is a 5-minute excerpt from the short film: