Exhibition Announcement
“The Legend of Trumpan Church,” a striking artwork by Dobrow, has been curated by Danila Tkachenko, head curator at ART-ICON, for inclusion in the upcoming “Sex and Politics” exhibition during Paris Photo, considered the world’s foremost photography fair. ART-ICON, a Milan and Paris-based cultural non-profit organization, is known for organizing international exhibitions of photography and contemporary art.
Curator’s Invitation
Danila Tkachenko expressed his admiration for Dobrow’s work, stating, “I recently came across your work and was genuinely impressed by its strong visual language and conceptual depth. Your approach resonates closely with the themes we are exploring, and I would be thrilled to see your work included in the exhibition.”
Artwork Overview and Symbolism
“The Legend of Trumpan Church” draws on a harrowing historical event—the mid-16th century massacre at Trumpan Church between the Scottish clans Macleod and Macdonald. The artwork centers on a young woman, the sole survivor of the attack, depicted as a powerful nude warrior who stands guard over the sacred ruins where her clansmen perished while barricaded in the church as it was burned to the ground. Symbolic elements such as a ghostly male face in the clouds and an inverted ship represent conquest and revenge, contributing to a surreal atmosphere that blends history, myth, and the supernatural. Visit Sam Dobrow’s Mystic Portfolio to learn more about this artwork and other related works. (Free NSFW Membership required due to content.)
Exhibition Theme
The “Sex and Politics” exhibition delves into how sexuality operates as a political arena, exploring themes not only of representation, desire, and freedom but also social control, commodification, and ideological power. Photography, as a pivotal medium for the exposure and circulation of images, plays a crucial role in shaping the public imagination of sexuality. Exhibited works investigate the fluid boundaries between private and public spheres, intimacy and ideology, liberation and commodification. The exhibition includes a diverse range of photographic practices—from documentary and activist photography to staged, conceptual, and digital works such as selfies and online platform-related imagery—reflecting the tensions at the intersection of sexuality and politics.
Internationally Acclaimed Exhibiting Artists
Some of the world’s most renowned (and controversial) photographic artists featured alongside Dobrow in the exhibition include:
- JOEL-PETER WITKIN
- MARK SELIGER with his portrait of CINDY SHERMAN
- LARS VON TRIER with a photograph from the film NYMPHOMANIAC
- ROGER BALLEN
- LYDIA LUNCH
- GRAZIANO ARICI with portraits of QUENTIN TARANTINO
- ANTON BELINSKIY
- VITA & BORIS MIKHAILOV
- ANTOINE D’AGATA
- LAIBACH
- ARSEN SAVADOV
- NADIA TOLOKONNIKOVA (PUSSY RIOT), and others.
Exhibition Details
The exhibition will take place from November 13 to 16, 2025, at the Bastille Design Center, 74 Bd Richard-Lenoir, 75011 Paris, France.
Welcome to my world of fine art photography. Please take your time and browse through my many galleries. I have a diverse collection of beautiful photographic art. All my artwork begins in the camera before making its journey through my imagination where I process the image into something beautiful and sometimes quite surreal.