Book signing at PUG BookCafé

February 27, 2012

“It’s not really the pictures that are provocative, but the quotes. The images are characterized by love.” Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin

Religion-based oppression of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people) is revealed with grim power in “Jerusalem,” a controversial photo exhibition by Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin showing at Fotomessen.

Jerusalem is sacred to three major religions — Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Ohlson Wallin traveled there to photograph LGBT Israelis and Palestinians. Her images draw attention to the Christian, Jewish and Muslim scriptures that threatens homosexuals community. She secretly photographed members of the local LGBT community, sometimes in iconic sacred settings with homophobic texts from the Koran or the Bibel projected on or near their bodies. /My friends in Israel wondered how I could take these pictures without being shot, says the controversial Swedish photographer. When the exhibition Jerusalem opened at the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, the organizers ordered an assesment of risk from the police. One of the images was censored. and the exhibition was under surveillanced by security guards.
The images are characterized by love, but the quotes are full of hatred. I wanted to start a conversation about this and Islamophobia. We believe that Islam is a violent religion, but the Koran is milder and the Bible more hateful in the condemnation of homosexuality, says Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin.

It is impossible to overlook the political message. If I can contribute to a debate about prejudice and oppression of LGBT-persons, it is worth the personal price I must pay, according to Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin.

Elisabeth will be signing the catalogue /Jerusalem/ at the PUG BookCafé//

Friday March 2nd at 16.00

Saturday March 3rd at 15.00

Sunday March 4th at 14.00

Welcome!