ACTS OF RESISTANCE: photograph, feminisms and protest

Today I visited The Art of Protest: Photography, Feminism and Resistance exhibition, a collaboration between the South London Gallery and the V & A Museum This exhibition aims to explore contemporary and international perspectives on feminism and radicalism through the medium of photography. The exhibition showcases work from artists and collectives from around the world that use the camera to challenge and transcend traditional protest photography.

Photography has long been seen as a tool of protest and resistance. In this exhibition, photography is more than a tool for documenting action, it is an important means of sharing ideas, inspiring change, telling stories, gathering evidence and confronting injustice. The works in the exhibition show how photography can be used as a powerful tool of protest - fast, freely distributed, ubiquitous and able to reach a global audience across language barriers. One of the works that struck me was of women who, in protest against the Iranian law that forces women to wear the hijab, wove their long hair together into a braid. The photographs of the braids, captured from the back, beautifully portrayed the strong force of women's solidarity.

Visiting this exhibition made me realize the power of photography as an art form and a tool of protest. The artists captured and expressed social movements and personal stories through their lenses, reinforcing the central role of visual narratives in modern social protest. The exhibition was more than just a visual experience; it was also a profound reflection and critique of current social movements and feminist struggles.