Nicol Hockett Invited to Exhibit Power’s Afterglow in Paris

I am honored to share that my photograph Power’s Afterglow has been selected for inclusion in the upcoming exhibition Sex and Politics, taking place in Paris from November 13–16, 2025, in parallel with Paris Photo, the world’s leading photography fair.

Curated by Danila Tkachenko and organized by Art-Icon, Sex and Politics explores the intersections of sexuality, representation, and power in contemporary photography. The exhibition assembles an international group of artists whose works probe how desire and authority are expressed, commodified, and contested across cultural and political contexts.

About the work:
In Power’s Afterglow, sparks scatter through smoke like the residue of fireworks or the remnants of a cosmic eruption. The image captures both brilliance and dissolution, embodying what remains after intensity has burned itself out. The title sharpens the work’s resonance: politically, it evokes the lingering trace of regimes, revolutions, and upheavals, the aftermath of power once asserted and now in decline. Erotically, “afterglow” suggests intimacy and release, positioning desire itself as a site of both vulnerability and strength. Visually, the smoldering light and drifting haze render afterglow tangible, at once cosmic and bodily.

Layered, elegant, and pointed, the photograph becomes an allegory of transition, a reminder that power, like passion, is most palpable in its fading traces. Exhibited during the week Paris becomes the center of the photography world, this project will provide visibility among curators, gallerists, and collectors attending Paris Photo. I am grateful for the opportunity to share Power’s Afterglow in this context and look forward to contributing to a global conversation on the politics of representation and desire.