Imagining utopian futures in the present using nonbinary self-portraiture

Cisnormativity renders nonbinary people invisible and unimaginable. This article introduces how I utilize practice-based artistic research to address this invisibility. In the project, 117 nonbinary participants created studio self-portrait photographs in collaboration with me, and each selected one portrait to be part of the photographic series entitled ‘IN/VISIBILITY’. The objective was to create a utopian space in the studio where nonbinary genders are recognized unconditionally and to produce portraits on the participants’ terms. This article provides an overview of the project, including its consideration of the critiques of trans visibility tactics and the underlying utopian aspirations that inspire it. I suggest that, when employed mindfully, trans visibility strategies can be a valuable tool for nonbinary community building.