Poor Traits: Beyond the Image

Rather than focusing solely on traditional portrait painting, the exhibition explores the diverse ways in which identity is constructed, staged, concealed, and revealed.

What defines a person? A face, a memory, a gesture, a mask, a story? In an era of carefully curated identities, digital projections, shifting social roles, and blurring boundaries between reality and performance, the concept of the self has become increasingly fluid, fragmented, and complex.

“Poor Traits” brings together nine contemporary artists working in the fields of painting, photography, sculpture, installation, video, and mixed media. Rather than focusing solely on traditional portraiture, the exhibition explores the diverse ways in which identity is constructed, staged, concealed, and revealed.

The depiction of the human figure has always been a central theme in art history. From ancient sculptures and Renaissance portraits to modern and contemporary explorations of identity, artists have consistently sought to capture not only outward appearance but also character, status, emotions, beliefs, and the complexity of the human condition. Over the centuries, the depiction of the self and the other has remained one of the most enduring and significant themes in art, reflecting the values, questions, and concerns of each era.

The English pun in the title “Poor Traits” plays on its similarity to “Portraits” and alludes to the imperfections, contradictions, vulnerabilities, and psychological complexities that are what make us human in the first place. The works in the exhibition go beyond mere physical resemblance and explore character, emotions, memory, mental states, social expectations, and the traces we leave behind.

Some of the artists look inward, exploring personal narratives and the architecture of the psyche. Others reflect on collective experiences, social pressure, and the roles imposed on us by culture, technology, and history. Together, the works challenge viewers to look beyond mere appearances and question how we perceive ourselves and others. At a time when identity is constantly being renegotiated between the private and public spheres, “Poor Traits” invites us to consider the spaces between image and reality, presence and absence, self-perception and external projection.

The exhibition “Poor Traits: Behind the Image” at the BBA Gallery is not a collection of portraits, but rather a study of what it means to be human and the context of our contemporary society.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 13:00 to 17:00

Runtime: Wed, 09/09/2026 to Sat, 24/10/2026

Takes place here:

• BBA Gallery