Cuban photographer questions ‘hegemonic masculinity’ by portraying males with flowers

One younger man has dyed yellow hair and a nostril ring, one other seems to be onerous, one other holds his son: they’re among the many group of males who agreed to pose with a flower for Cuban photographer Moník Molinet, who’s attempting to interrupt down stereotypes.

A collection of portraits of males who agreed to pose with a bougainvillea or a geranium of their left ear make up the exhibition “Masculinities”, which opened at Havana’s Fábrica de Arte.

“Avoiding stereotypes, it occurred to me to see how I may attempt to present males who have been instructed from exterior hegemonic masculinity,” Molinet, 33, instructed AFP.

Together with her lens, the artist tries to “right the dearth of pictures within the visible imaginary”, which doesn’t admit a susceptible masculinity and condemns with homophobia any female gesture on a person, she says.

The stir that this venture has brought on, even earlier than it reached the exhibition corridor, started in August 2022, when the photographer determined to add some pictures of males with pure flowers on their faces to Twitter.

“For us it was much more of a shock that once we posted it on Twitter it went viral and reached greater than 5 million accounts in lower than 24 hours and loads of interplay,” but in addition controversy, says Molinet.

– That is one thing else! –

Then, his account was quickly suspended “and that brought on much more of a stir,” he says with a small lilac bush flower embedded in his black hair.

The @PistolaMonik account was flooded with misogynistic and sexist messages, but in addition from supporters of the venture. “Bullshit! Immediately’s feminists search to feminise (if such a phrase exists) males and masculinise ladies! The world is the other way up,” wrote one consumer on the community.

However many advocated the initiative and tweeted pictures of themselves with flowers of assorted colors and sizes of their ears.

To make the show, Moník and his crew stood on a promenade on the Prado, one of many fundamental avenues in downtown Havana, the place they approached males with the query: “Would you be keen to take an image of your self with a flower in your ear in help of the combat in opposition to violence in opposition to ladies?

A lot of the reactions have been opposed. “I’ve homosexual associates, I am not criticising it, however me carrying the flower, that is one thing else!” says a person in his 50s who was consulted and who seems in a video projected within the exhibition.

An area with a white background on the finish of the exhibition awaits anybody who desires to have their photograph taken, following the directions written on a wall, which embody placing the flower within the left ear.

A very powerful guideline is to have a look at the digital camera with a critical expression. “We need to uncover your persona in your eyes,” Molinet asks.