Bodies in Resistance: Documenting Protest Through the Lens

 

Exhibited at CaféBar Los Amigos, Münster | March–April 2025

Daisy Moncrief is currently enrolled in our Master’s program in “Visual Anthropology, Media and Documentary Practices.” In the following report, she reflects on her recent photo exhibition at CaféBar Los Amigos in Münster, which focuses on the embodied and performative dimensions of feminist resistance:

On the evening of March 6th, I had the chance to present my first photography exhibition Bodies in Resistance. Hosted at the Nicaraguan “CaféBar Los Amigos” in Münster, the event was in the lead-up to International Women’s Day (“8M”) and would be on display for the months of March and April. It brought together a mix of friends, colleagues, and curious visitors, and created space for reflection, conversation, and connection.

The exhibition featured photographs taken over the last few years during feminist protests, street art interventions, and performances across Colombia, Chile, Peru, Germany, Spain, and France. My aim was to highlight the ways in which bodies become a form of protest – visible, present, and full of meaning.

I’m currently studying “Visual Anthropology, Media and Documentary Practices” at the University of Münster, and my interest in documenting protest began in 2019, when I attended the 8M march in Bogotá with my camera. That experience had a lasting impact on me – the sound of voices in unison, the creativity of the placards and chants, the sheer force of collective action. Since then, I’ve continued to photograph not only feminist demonstrations but also climate actions, LGBTQ+ protests, and other struggles for justice and human rights.

This exhibition was a way to bring together those experiences, and to invite others to think about what feminist resistance looks and feels like. Alongside the photographs, I included posters and pañuelos from demonstrations in Latin America and Europe, as well as QR codes linking to videos and sounds of protests as well as a playlist of Spanish and Latin American feminist songs that accompanied the evening.

Putting the exhibition together was definitely a team effort. My partner Rosario helped with everything from translations and logistics to moral support – and it wouldn’t have happened without her. I’m grateful to everyone who came, asked questions, and shared their thoughts. The positive feedback has encouraged me to continue this work, which I see not as a finished product, but as part of an ongoing visual research process rooted in solidarity.