Evelyn Bencicova (b. Bratislava, 1992) is a visual creative specialising in photography and art direction. Informed by her background in fine art and new media studies (University for Applied Arts, Vienna), Evelyn’s practice combines her interest in contemporary culture with academic research to create a unique aesthetic space in which the conceptual meets the visual.

Evelyn’s work is never quite what first appears to be. Her photographs depict meticulously-controlled compositions characterised by an aesthetic sterility, tinged with poetic undertones of timeless desire and longing. Evelyn constructs compelling narrative scenarios that blur the lines between reality, memory and imagination — “fictions based on truth”.

Evelyn received numerous international awards for both photography and art direction including prestigious Hasselblad Masters 2016, Berlin Master 2020 and exhibited on solo and group shows around the world.

The Rite

Culture Device is a group of dancers, performers and artist with Down Syndrome ready to challenge prejudices and change attitudes towards people with extra chromosome. Being present and actively engaged on their journey from London clubs into art institutions and galleries it felt absolutely natural to join creative team of “The Rite” – artistic residence at Royal Opera House, which finished by reinterpretation of “The Rite of Spring”. Series of portraits captures the energy of performance with the uniqueness of each individual in their stage character as actors and professionals, but also as humans. Through photographs I simultaneously observed both streams of courage and moments of doubt, stretches of joy and the heaviness of worry, and a wide spectrum of beauty in all its complexity.

The title Rite comes from the name of the ballet piece, The Rite of Spring, which defined the art-direction, and whole mood of the photographs. Being premiered in 1913 Paris The Rite of Spring challenged many rules of music composition and choreography and caused an enormous riot among the audience, as it broke all the expectations of ballet at the time and by that, started entirely new era in history of dance. Artist of Culture Device face the same challenges in todays society. Their movement is full of life, less controlled thus more emotional showing life in its full expression. The same power is included in the portraits, which rather than photographic or technical perfection focus on individuality of each character and our communication in the presence of the camera. Their beauty might not fall into traditional standards of our society but it is so rich, interesting so honest that it proves these standards biased, old-fashioned and simply wrong.

Artists of Culture Device have a message to share and they want the world to listen, to look, to come closer and join. They want to show their faces without people turning away. Artists portrayed do not wish to hide their medical condition, nor do they don’t want to be defined by that. Like everyone, they want to be celebrated for their strengths and understood in moments of vulnerability. Together we want to confront prejudices, stigmas and conventions, and head towards more diverse and inclusive future in world of arts as well as in everyday life.

Enlightenment

Sacred is often defined as a conjunction of worship and fear, it created value by its inaccessibility. It appears out of touch, distant and ethereal, carrying the taboo of isolated and unknown. And unknown can be easily misunderstood.

Enlightenment aims to challenge the paradigm of visual representation connected with faith. It represents my vision of purity and sanctitude deprived of accustomed dogma and fear of openness. Without intention to scandalise I created a fictitious story of 3 sisters bond by belief, sharing life in companionship, enjoying innocent pleasures of existence.

Individual scenes represent actions forbidden to women belonging to nun-hood by religious orders as well as public opinion. These are mostly actions related to inter-human relation, joy and freedom of mind, actions which are by no means evil or opposed to someone’s devotion in its real sense.

Enlightenment is a reform of thinking and values, questioning the meaning of forbidden fruit. Life is not a sin.