Ragna Arndt-Marić

Eden's Eve is a photo series of staged portraits, supplemented with audio fragments. In her series, the German Ragna Arndt-Marić addresses man-made social injustices such as racism and the unequal rights of men and women, binary and non-binary or hetero- and homosexual persons in patriarchal societies. The conversation between the photographer and the person portrayed has been an important part of the participatory process of making the images. To emphasize the equality between the photographer and the person portrayed, Arndt-Marić lets the portrayed speak through audio fragments. They talk about their wishes, hopes and fears for tomorrow's society.

Ragna Arndt-Marić was inspired by a quote from the African American poet Audre Lorde: “It is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence“. Lorde describes herself as Black, lesbian, mother of two children and an activist for women's rights who has fought against discrimination all her life. Referring to her quote, Ragna Arndt-Marić believes that photography can be used to break the silence. Both women believe that it is precisely the perception and acceptance of different forces that lead to a fruitful exchange and a better coexistence.