wo 08 okt
|Vice Versa bar
Mayflies: The Art of Living for One Day - A Photographic Journey into Rituals and Belonging - photographer Darren Smith
Photographer Darren Smith explores how festivals and rituals — from Amsterdam nightlife to Burning Man and Día de los Muertos — shape identity and belonging. Based on 1,000 portraits across three continents, Mayflies captures the fleeting power of masks, costumes, and community. Language: English
Time & Location
08 okt 2025, 19:30 – 21:00
Vice Versa bar, Ceintuurbaan 206, 1072 GC Amsterdam, Netherlands
About the event
What can temporary rituals teach us about identity and belonging?
Photographer Darren Smith takes us inside Mayflies — a portrait project that began in Amsterdam’s nightlife and grew into a global exploration of festivals, rituals, and fleeting communities. Over three continents and more than 1,000 portraits later, he asks:
How do temporary rituals shape our understanding of self?
What role do masks, costumes, and celebration play in constructing identity?
How can photography preserve moments that disappear in an instant?
From Burning Man to Día de los Muertos, Mayflies reveals the cultural power of gatherings where creativity, freedom, and community collide. Now collected in a 208-page photo book (Lecturis, 2024), Darren shares the stories behind the images and reflects on how these fleeting encounters shape our sense of culture and belonging.
Darren Smith (1984, Virginia, USA) is a portrait and advertising photographer based in Amsterdam. Known for his bold, vibrant style, his work explores identity, self-expression, and belonging. Raised in the Appalachian Mountains, Darren developed a deep respect for those who defy convention — a perspective that defines his photographic voice.
His debut monograph, Mayflies, was published by Lecturis in 2024 and is distributed internationally by IDEA Books.
Field of Study: Communications (Film & Video Major) Thematic Focus: Sociology of Identity & Self-Expression Primary Affiliate: Lecturis / IDEA Books Professional Nexus: DFIR communications / TBWA
Note: To keep the conversation intimate and engaging, we are keeping this event to a small group. Seats are strictly limited.
Doors open at 18:45 – Arrive early, grab a seat, and settle in.
Talk starts at 19:30 and runs until around 21:00.
Stick around afterwards in the bar —good conversations don’t have closing times.
