Evelyn Bencicova was born in Bratislava, 1992. She is a visual creative specialised in photography and art direction. Informed by her background in fine art and new media studies at the University for Applied Arts in Vienna, Bencicova’s practice combines academic research with an interest in contemporary culture to create a unique aesthetic space in which the conceptual meets the visual.
Bencicova’s client repertoire includes fashion and luxury brands such as Gucci, Cartier and Nehera, as well as cultural institutions such as Frieze, Berghain, Kunsthalle Basel, Royal Opera House, Slovak National Theatre and Ballet, Atonal Berlin, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology and Museums Quartier Vienna. Evelyn’s commercial and artistic work has featured in the likes of Vogue Portugal, Vogue Czechoslovakia, Vogue Spain, ZEIT Magazine, The Gentlewoman, ELLE, Dazed & Confused, i-D, Vice, Frieze, GUP, HANT and Metal Magazine. Her work has been published in prestigious international photography books and on several online platforms (Juxtapoz, iGNANT.com, Fubiz media) and she has participated in solo and group exhibitions across the world – Fotografiska Stockholm, National Portrait Gallery in London and Vogue Photo festival to mention few.
Images come from project The Rite, collaboration between Adam Csoka Keller (film), Evelyn Bencicova (photography), Masha Reva (styling) and Culture Device.
About ‘The Rite’ – words by Evelyn Bencicova:
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. “The Rite” was created during artistic residence at Royal Opera House, which finished by reinterpretation of ballet “The Rite of Spring”, which crated base for both film (directed by Adam Csoka Keller) and photographs created afterwards. 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.
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.
Project is created in collaboration with Culutre Device, Royal Opera House, Nowness and Stink Films.
