In the middle of Europe’s largest leather and fetish event in Berlin, a non-profit photo project is creating a space for underrepresented people at the FOLSOM Street Fair.

Photographer Meydenberg, who has been leading this FLINTA* photo project since 2022, will be joined by safe-space photographer Caro Gugu on Saturday, 30 August. Together, they aim to celebrate women, trans, non-binary, intersex and agender people and make a statement for inclusion.

The open photo studio in the Fuggerstrasse 27 will run from 12:00 to 21:00, and alle individuals who identify as FLINTA* are welcome to drop in at any time. 

In line with the motto ‘Come as you are. Pay what you can,’ this is a non-profit project and contributions directly support the photographers. 

All participants will receive their digital portrait by email. Selected photos will be displayed online and in future exhibitions to promote diversity at FOLSOM Europe.

About the photographers:

Caro Gugu (she/her) is a Berlin-based safe space photographer and leader of the body positivity project “dein körper ist genug” (‘your body is enough’). She focuses on human diversity, visibility, and real bodies. With heart, hips, and humor, she creates a safe space in front of the camera to empower through photography and to show that beauty ideals don’t exist, because everyone is enough.

Marga van den Meydenberg (she/her) is a photographer who shoots creative portraits and social projects. In her work, she often focuses on topics such as ethics and body politics in subcultures and marginalised groups. She strongly believes that every person is unique and therefore a work of art.

In 2024, Meydenberg teamed up with photographers Stefanie Loos and Ali Bay and in February 2025 they held their photo exhibition THROUGH THE GLOSS DOOR – queering gender at FOLSOM Europe – at Eisenherz bookstore Berlin.

2023, Meydenberg invited Toni Karat to collaborate with her and they were supported by Other Nature Shop.

Here you find a selection of portraits through the years.

I was asked by CJP to capture festival visitors wearing their coolest outfits at hiphop festival WOO HAH!

“Society is becoming increasingly tolerant when it comes to sexuality, but if you are in a wheelchair and have a different sexuality from “the norm”, it is almost seen as a double handicap.” -Hanna

In collaboration with Inklusion Muss Laut Sein, a non-profit organisation that stands for barrier-free festivals and events, I captured portraits of differently-abled bodies at CSD Berlin and wrote down their story.

Hanna has always thought she was bisexual, until her child (17-year-old transsexual) explained to her that she is pansexual – she falls in love with people, not genders. 

Hanna is diagnosed with SLE – systemic lupus erythematosus – when she was 16 and has been in a wheelchair for 8 years.

I met her at the wheelchair podium at the side of the CSD main stage, where she was watching the programme with a friend. When I asked her what she thought about accessibility for people in wheelchairs during large events like this, she told me that, unfortunately, it often fails to provide what is needed. Despite a protected area for wheelchair users and a translation of the stage programme in sign language, it is still not barrier-free enough, in Hanna’s opinion.

This was proved when she had to go to the toilet. She managed to navigate through a crowd of waiting people to get to 1 of the 2 handicapped dixies, which was almost too gross due to the use of the many ‘normal’ visitors.

Eva suffered a stroke in 2021 and is therefore dependent on her rollator. She has come to the CSD to support a queer family member who is walking in the parade. She herself comes from a small village where she grew up among narrow-minded people therefore she feels that it’s important to show up as an ally for the LGBTQIA+ community; especially as there recently is a global rise in hate crimes.

In the protected area for wheelchair users at the CSD parade I photographed this wonderful little family.

Jessy has been dependent on her wheelchair since 2009 due to a kneecap injury (patellaluxation). Unfortunately, after 16 operations, there is still no improvement.

Jessy and Elisa met in 2015 and got married in 2018. That same year, Jessy developed her first herniated disc in her cervical spine and required surgery.

In 2019, they lost their first son Noah in the 5th month of pregnancy. In the middle of the pandemic, Mads was born extremely premature at 26 weeks. He is small in stature but is developing wonderfully!

In December 2022, Jessy underwent a second hernia operation, when everything just seemed to be going better she suffered her first two strokes last February and a 3rd one in April. After examination, Jessy was found to have the autoimmune disease APS (antiphospholipid syndrome) and in addition she was diagnosed with SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus).

However, this does not stop them from participating in life and enjoying the CSD parade together.

This farmer rock festival is all about tractor pulling, cross, enduro, music, fairground and camping. This photo series at BRF was commissioned by RTV Drenthe.

During the Circus Biennale in Berlin, I took portraits of circus artists at Villa Kuriosum. I built a pop-up studio behind the circus tent and photographed the diversity of this international community.

Inklusion Muss Laut Sein is a non-profit organisation that stands for barrier-free festivals and events. I had the chance to go with them to the Superbloom festival in Munich, to raise awareness that everyone should feel accepted and respected and can participate equally.

To capture the visitors of Sommerfest in Essen, I created a Pop Up photo studio at Galerie Yes.Baby.