BIRDS OF MEXICO CITY - OPENING: PIETER HENKET - SOLO SHOW

OPENING FRIDAY, 12 JUNE, 18:00 - 20:30

AT BILDHALLE AMSTERDAM

THE ARTIST WILL BE PRESENT

Step into Birds of Mexico City, a striking photographic series by Pieter Henket, portraying a generation in Mexico who are redefining gender, identity, and self-expression with remarkable courage and imagination. Created in close collaboration with stylist Chino Castilla, the works are set within a carefully constructed studio environment in Mexico City. This minimal, almost timeless setting allows each portrait to unfold with clarity and intimacy, drawing attention to the presence, gesture, and individuality of every subject.

Opening during Pride Month, the presentation gently aligns with wider conversations around visibility and freedom, while remaining focused on the deeply personal narratives at its core. The exhibition continues throughout the summer, extending into Pride Amsterdam as part of a broader cultural moment. 

Henket's works move beyond traditional portraiture. Rather than documenting his subjects as they are, he reveals how they see themselves or wish to be seen. Through deliberate staging, light, and costume, each figure becomes both subject and storyteller. Elements of Catholic symbolism, pop culture, and contemporary queer identity subtly intersect, creating layered images in which tradition is not fixed but reimagined. Ritual, performance, and self-expression come together in a visual language where the body becomes a site of meaning, personal, political, and profoundly human. 

A quiet stillness runs through the series. The composed, almost ceremonial poses lend the figures a monumental quality, reminiscent of contemporary icons or saints, imbued with dignity and presence. Here, the idea of the sacred expands beyond religion, pointing instead to the act of being visible and unapologetically oneself. 

While the city itself remains largely unseen, the spirit of Mexico City is unmistakably present, carried through the energy, resilience, and voices of those portrayed. Each image emerges from a collaborative process with dancers, performers, and artists, shaped by trust, exchange, and shared authorship.

Birds of Mexico City forms part of Henket’s ongoing Birds series, capturing individuals across the world who embody freedom and authenticity. Together, they speak to something universal, the desire to be seen, to belong, and to define one’s own identity.

Now available:
Pieter Henket – Birds of Mexico City, 2026
Publisher: Damiani Books
Hardcover

order here