About the Exhibiton

This year’s Sarajevo Photography Festival partners with Kvirhana Festival to present Welcome to the World of Drag Queens; Welcome Backstage: a striking photo exhibition by award-winning Taiwanese-Slovenian photographer Simon Chang.

Opening on Friday, June 13 at 14:00 at Goethe-Institut BiH, the exhibition runs until June 30, offering a deeply human look into the world behind the wigs, sequins, and spotlight.

Chang’s powerful portraits go beyond the performance, capturing intimate moments of vulnerability, anticipation, and triumph. Each image is a testament to the performers’ courage and authenticity, chronicling the transformation of fear into flair and prejudice into pride. This is a celebration of identity, resilience, and joy in the face of adversity.

About the Author

Simon Chang, whose work has graced the halls of Madrid’s Museo Reina Sofía and Moscow’s National Centre for Contemporary Arts, brings decades of storytelling experience to Sarajevo. With numerous awards under his belt – including Slovenia Press Photo and Taiwan’s Golden Tripod Awards: his lens focuses on the lives of those often left out of the spotlight.