08 Jul

17:00

Melkweg Expo

Lijnbaansgracht 234A, Amsterdam

Join the opening and book launch of 'Beautiful Creatures', a solo exhibition by photographer The Sinful Son celebrating the international queer community.

Opening: Beautiful Creatures

More info & tickets

Be welcome during the opening and book launch of Beautiful Creatures, featuring a welcome speech by London's queer club icon Lewis G. Burton, performances by JO.JOE and Aryelle Freeman Hopelezz, and DJ sets by Maxime Duvall and Jordi Ariza Gallego — and more. The solo exhibition by Amsterdam-based photographer The Sinful Son (Peter van der Wal) will be on display at Melkweg Expo until September 20.

Visibility as Resistance

With his iconic Polaroid Big Shot and vintage flashcubes, The Sinful Son has captured hundreds of moments in clubs in Amsterdam, Berlin, London, and beyond over the past few years. DJs, dancers, lovers, and strangers, all part of the same ritual. What started with a simple question grew into an impressive portrait series and a vibrant time capsule of the international queer community. A celebration of freedom, hedonism, diversity, and the power of a chosen family.

In a time when visibility is not a given, documenting queer lives becomes an act of resistance. It is a refusal to disappear, and a clear message that this community has always been here and will always remain.

The Photo Book

The book is published by nai010 publishers and brings together more than 350 unique Polaroids from The Sinful Son's collection, supplemented with texts by Junior van Keulen, Ridder van Kooten, and Lewis G Burton, which contextualize the work and describe The Sinful Son's methods. What normally disappears in the darkness of the club or is lost at sunrise, The Sinful Son has bundled into a unique collector's item and exhibition. The photo book is now available for pre-order via the nai010 publishers website and can be picked up during the exhibition opening.

This program is part of Club Chrome: Melkweg's multidisciplinary festival during WorldPride 2026, where music, art, and activism come together.