Lucy Schreurs

For as long as I can remember, I have had a complex relationship with identity and belonging. I used to hide in books to understand how others shaped themselves within stereotypes, subcultures and social norms. Especially around sexuality, gender and intimacy, there was always a distance between how I saw myself and what was considered socially acceptable. Growing up within the norms and values of a Catholic village in Limburg, anything that fell outside the norm was rejected rather than accepted. This led to a fascination with people and communities existing outside dominant structures, driven also by a desire to get closer and find parts of myself that had no room to exist.

The tension between rejection and belonging forms the starting point of my practice. I explore how norms around gender, sexuality and identity are passed down, internalised and reproduced. These questions draw me towards queer communities, performance culture and alternative social spaces such as nightclubs, raves and sex positive parties. Initially as a documentary observer, I gradually became a participant, organiser and curator.

I see queer nightlife not as an escape, but as a space where intimacy, collective joy and alternative ways of living together are experienced and practised. Through photography, performance and installation, I explore temporary, intimate forms of community within sex-positive environments such as Whole Festival (Berlin) and Club Raum (Amsterdam). To me, these spaces have the potential to shift what we consider normal or acceptable beyond their walls.

Ecological analogue photography is not only a technique but also a conceptual starting point. Through ephemeral image-making processes such as cyanotypes and lumen prints, I explore vulnerability, transformation and reciprocity. I see photography as a living organism. Like identity and community, it is constantly changing, responding to time, its environment and the relationships it encounters.