![[UN]BOXED](http://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69b5731d90ccd3225f68ebac/5f7c4d82-ad17-4ed0-bb84-8a6c618c4159/%5Bun%5Dboxed+logo+black.png?format=1500w)
Unpacking Labels
Discovering People
What happens when we take the time to explore a label and get to know the person behind it?
What is it?
[UN]BOXED is a photography project centered on labels within the LGBTQIA community and what comes into view when you look beyond them.
Within and outside the LGBTQIA+ community, labels are increasingly used to describe identity. Sometimes they are chosen, sometimes they are assigned. They can bring clarity or foster a sense of belonging, but they can also create distance.
Through portraits and personal stories, this project seeks to bridge that gap. Not by questioning labels, but by understanding their meaning and what lies beyond them.
The project is currently in an early stage and continues to develop.
What form does it take?
The project takes shape as a series of portraits combined with personal stories.
Installation
(This image shows an example of the format and does not represent the final participants or content.)
In the physical installation, these stories are displayed on rotating cubes stacked on pillars. Each cube narrates the story of one person and has four sides: a portrait with a label, a text providing context, a second image showing another aspect of the person, and a text that reflects life beyond that label.
The installation can be exhibited in both private and public spaces and features a modular design, enabling it to adapt to various environments. Over time, it might evolve into a traveling exhibition, showcased across multiple locations for extended durations.
Visitors can rotate the cubes themselves, choosing how they experience each story. Sometimes it starts with a label, sometimes with a face, sometimes with a story.
Website
Along with the installation, the website plays a second, equally important role in the project. It provides a deeper look into the stories, with extra images and context. It also makes the project accessible to people who cannot visit the installation and will be available in multiple languages, enabling the work to reach a wider, international audience.
Why this project?
This project didn’t start as a mere idea but as a question.
While raising our two sons, we were not actively involved in the LGBTQIA+ community. We found ourselves in a mostly straight environment where there was little to no visible presence of that community.
It was only after they left home that Danny and I started to wonder: how do we connect with that community, and what does it look like now, more than twenty years later?
In conversations with people around me, I noticed this question is more widely shared. Both inside and outside the community, there is often misunderstanding, doubt, or discomfort around labels and identity. At the same time, for many, these labels are essential in helping them understand themselves and be seen.
With [UN]BOXED, I explore that tension through photography, leaving space for nuance and humanity.
What is needed?
I'm seeking individuals who identify with a label within the LGBTQIA+ community and are interested in participating in this project.
For this initial phase, the focus is on a selection of commonly used labels, with one or more personal stories for each label, each from a different perspective.
If you participate, we'll create a small photo series together that shows two sides of you. One portrait reflects how you relate to the label. The other focuses on something important in your daily life, beyond that label. This could be your role as a parent, your work, your passions, or anything else that defines who you are.
Along with the photography, we will set aside time for a conversation where your story and perspective are at the center.
If you’re interested in taking part, you can sign up using the button below.
I’m also looking for:
A copywriter or editor
Someone who can help transform these conversations into clear and meaningful stories.
Conversation partners
People who want to contribute by considering the content, nuance, and sensitivity of the project.
About the photographer
In my work, I concentrate on how people present themselves and what lies beneath that surface. With this project, I combine my interest in identity, image, and storytelling in a process that is both personal and shared.
Along with photography, I have experience as a Product Designer, working on complex, user-focused projects for various organizations and brands.
I’m Michael Kattenbeld, a portrait photographer based in the Netherlands and the founder of [UN]BOXED.
If this resonates with you, or if you feel you could contribute in some way, I would love to hear from you.