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The

Artist

Ugo Woatzi

Nominated in
2021
By
FOMU
Lives and Works in
Ugo Woatzi (he/they) lives and works in Brussels. Nominated by FOMU (Fotomuseum Antwerpen), they are an artist whose practice explores the intersections of queer narratives and imaginaries. Working across photography, video, and installation, they create dreamlike environments that blend memory and fiction. Through poetic and speculative gestures, their work envisions new possibilities for belonging, care, and transformation—both for our bodies and for the worlds we inhabit. Ugo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Toulouse University, studied at the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg, and earned a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from LUCA School of Arts in Brussels.
Projects
2018

Chameleon

Ugo Woatzi’s photographs reference spaces both real and imagined, caught between worlds of freedom and restriction. He reveals and yet conceals, like a chameleon hiding, blending and adapting – as a means of preservation and queer resilience. His collaborative process expresses the desires and struggles of his community, together creating a more sensitive and accepting world, escaping and confronting the harsh realities of divisive heteronormative structures. The images, both tender and defiant, transmute feelings of love and conflict, a sense of longing that is relatable and universally accessible. The sensuosity of his gaze taps into subtler aspects of human desire with a quiet intimacy, yet this seemingly easy translation of emotions is quickly blocked / rendered inaccessible in the simultaneous act of hiding or obscuring what he intends to express. Ugo invites us to consider and celebrate a range of masculinities, performative bodies, psyches, and experiences; exploring the idea of ‘visibility’ as one fraught with both fear and excitement. It is this very sense of duality which Ugo expresses so strongly and eloquently in his work - both a performance, and a lived reality, speaking of truth and yet creating fiction - akin to the complex nature of photography; where new worlds are created from fragments of a previous one. It is in this new world, in the tender sensitivity of Ugo’s gaze that we finally access a space of acceptance. Text by Michelle Harris Art historian / Johannesburg
Ugo Woatzi
was nominated by
FOMU
in
2021
Show all projects
Each year every member of the FUTURES European Photography Platform nominates a set of artists and projects to become part of the FUTURES network.

The 9th edition of .tiff reflects a diversity of voices, positions and subject matter. It is a passionate group of artists and photographers who each try to give personal answers to today’s questions. Youqine Lefèvre (1993, CN) and Joud Toamah (1992, SY) take their personal histories of migration and family archivesas a starting point to explore relationships and the idea of belonging. Lived experience also guides the work of Ugo Woatzi (1991, FR) and his celebration of queer masculinities. Erien Withouck (1994, BE) and Josephina van de Water (1985, NL) use myths and fables to comment on today’s society, whereas Sébastien Cuvelier (1975, BE) creates a visual
fictional paradise. Kamel Moussa (1981, BE) captures the devastating condition of refugees and human resilience. Aurélie Bayad (1994, FR) expresses desires and anxieties in a networked world, whereas Michiel De Cleene (1988, BE) invites viewers to construct their own narrative based on a web of images and information. Lastly, Lucas Leffler (1993, BE) explores the materiality of the photographic medium and its rich history. The ten photographers work in a variety of media, including books, video, performance and installations. Their stories are as diverse as their approach: documentary, analytical, poetic, conceptual, humorous, intimate and most of all fresh and thought-provoking.

Over the years, .tiff has succeeded in building a Belgian photography community that breaches language barriers and allows for an exchange of ideas and insights between artists, curators, critics and researchers. The current selection shows that this community is ever growing and that Belgian photography will continue to reinvent itself for many years to come.

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