I Don’t Want to Be an Unicorn Anymore
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I Don’t Want to Be a Unicorn Anymore is the debut exhibition of Italian-Swiss photographer Tiziano Nardella (1988), whose work focuses on the male nude. The exhibition presents a series of portraits that depict the journey of homosexual individuals towards personal acceptance and the act of coming out of the closet.
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Each image illustrates a key moment in this journey, where the author questions and reflects on societal expectations and gender norms in relation to masculinity and sexuality. In images altered with Photoshop and accompanying texts, the artist reflects on what this means for the experience of an LGBTQ+ individual.
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By portraying his personal path towards liberation from these expectations, Tiziano seeks to inspire and encourage people to accept and love themselves as they are. This message is evident in the works titled: “Love the Reflection of Who You Are,” “Don’t Suppress Your True Self,” and “You Can’t Erase Who You Are Inside.”
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This series is part of a larger project in which, since late 2022, the photographer has been traveling through Latin America with his Sony Alpha and a flash, creating a photographic series about male homosexuality. He has been capturing images and stories of the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in Latin America.
Why do I like something different, is there something wrong with me?
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The solitude
I feel something different
Being confronted with one's own homosexuality as a child is difficult, partly because we didn't learn about it at school.
While other pubescents are busy making out with girls to gain their first experience, later go to clubs only to catch a woman or rave about intimate glimpses of women, we spent time trying to figure out why we don't feel the same. Is it all an act on their part to be masculine or is there just something wrong with us? Indeed It’s not an act, but we tried to perform our social masculinity so as not to be noticed, and it really worked?
A socially and historically determined disposition to associate a man's beauty and attractiveness primarily with his strength and masculinity, deep psychological wounds that men have carried since childhood and puberty, and which lead them to priorities even obsess over their masculinity in order to avoid society's prejudices.
My different personalities
Love what you are
Am I falling or flying
I Explore
Am I Flying or falling! The first experience of being gay is very individual, consisting of highs and lows. The first experiences are very fundamental and trigger an explosion of feelings. We fly, we are thrilled by the physical contact of a like-minded person and of the same sex. The whole body vibrates and asks for more, you try what goes, you feel and you are just happy because these sexual feelings feel real.
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You fall because the psychological feelings could be misleading. Homosexual men can be greedy and give sexual inclination without developing feelings. For newcomers, this can be very toxic and cause heartbreaks, they are falling, it feels like a rollercoaster. The number of homosexuals is much smaller than the number of heterosexuals and most of the time you can't tell if they are homosexual or not, which is why it is more difficult for us homosexuals to find a suitable partner, mostly when you are younger.
The invisible couple
Love the reflection of who you are
Don't repress your inner self back into the closet
I am homosexual, and I no longer want to hide
A kissing homosexual couple is still an eye-catcher for many heterosexuals, even if this is not meant in a bad way, it is just a reflex of a normal citizen.
Unlike other minorities, gays and lesbians can avoid the gaze of others; for example, by not holding hands or kissing in public.
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As a young homosexual man, it is still very difficult to come out. It is a game of hiding one's sexuality, feelings or secret love. Many couples appear to the outside world as friends instead of a gay couple. Whether it is because of society or still in the minds of the homosexuals that acceptance is not yet so far. Unfortunately, the headlines attacking homosexuals still lead to this game of hiding our sexuality. Many also try to protect themselves by adhering to social norms regarding eg. Clothing, make-up or posture. However, for gender non-confirming, trans* and inter* LGBQ and LGBQ of color it can be difficult or impossible to remain invisible.
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Because visibility can be dangerous in everyday life, it is important that LGBTQ people are represented in other areas of society, for example in the media, culture, politics, science, sport, business and the education and health sectors. There is still a need to catch up in all these areas.
You can't remove what you are inside
La salida de mi ser interior
The inner coming out
Pride!
The Process of coming out
Coming out of the closet is the term we use to describe sharing our sexual preferences or identities with the world around us. While the process of opening up to the external world is complicated, in my experience, it is the most liberating path there is, although it is evident that each person experiences this process differently, depending on the social context in which they develop, the culture, the religion, and the standards of each population.
Regardless of how someone identifies, a common factor is that each person makes a profound personal decision about whom, if anyone, they can trust with their sexual identity or preference. Most people come out because they reach a point where they are no longer emotionally willing or able to hide who they really are. Coming out of the closet is an act of courage, authenticity, and openness. By being visible, we stop being fictional characters, like unicorns.
Fighting for the rights we deserve
​People like us have always existed. The identities we associate with the modern terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer may be relatively modern, but ancient art and literature show that homosexual and gender nonconforming behavior have occurred throughout history. (source: Pride - The Story of the LGBTQ Equality Movement)