ICONS – an exhibition about the right to exist

Icons of universal dreams and desires to become a part of society, art and popular culture. But here the icons are shaped by a group that has rarely or never been seen, even though they have always been among us. The 21 models from all over Sweden have several things in common; dreams, emotions and Down syndrome.
Flicka med Downs syndrom på teaterscen i rollen som Jeanne D'Arc
Utställningen IKONER visas från och med november 2020 på Nationalbibliotekets utställningshall i Riga, som ett led i Glada Hudik-teaterns skolprojekt Barn föds inte med fördomar. Fotograf: Emma Svensson
Girl with Down's syndrome in the role of the icon Jeanne d'Arc
Photo: Emma Svensson

Rose and Jack on the Titanic’s deck, Barbie in her pink house or a prime minister speaking to the nation. Icons is an exhibition about being allowed to exist, which was first shown at Fotografiska, Stockholm 2016. The portraits in “Icons” are taken by the photographer Emma Svensson. She has collaborated with the masks Helena Andersson and Linda Sandberg, as well as the director Pär Johansson at Glada Hudik-teatern. The exhibition will be shown this autumn at the National Library’s exhibition hall in Riga, as part of the Glada Hudik Theatre’s school project Children are not born with prejudice and associated opinion-promoting, which has taken place in collaboration with SI since 2016