In queer communities, not everything is said out loud. We’ve learned to speak in symbols, body language, fashion choices, and flirtatious looks — not only to find each other, but to protect ourselves. These codes are survival tactics, but also tools of connection, seduction, and play. 

A subtle nod. A shared reference. A knowing glance.

This exhibition taps into that unspoken language. What might look like stillness holds tension. What seems playful might carry history. Every image is layered — charged with meaning for those who know how to read it.

If you know, you know.

Desire is never neutral. It’s shaped by who we are, what we’ve survived, and what we long for. In these works, kink and fetish aren’t just erotic — they’re also emotional, symbolic, even spiritual.

Power becomes fluid. Roles get blurred.

Choosing analogue film wasn’t just an aesthetic decision — it was political. The slow, physical process of shooting, developing, and printing allowed space for care, trust, and presence. No quick fixes, no instant deletes. The work embraces texture, imperfection, and intimacy. Over the course of an 8-month research project, Versteeg explored the layered ways desire, identity, and power intersects with queer spaces.

Just chemistry.

This body of work doesn’t ask for permission or explanation — it speaks in codes, gestures, and glances.

If you know, you know.