Until November 10th, the Paris-based contemporary art space La Galerie will host the +50 EXHIBITION, a group exhibition dedicated to exploring the concepts of migration and identity and their place in our society by addressing and questioning the subject of gender and sexual identity.

Curated by Mehdi Dakhli, founder of traveling gallery Contempo, the exhibit reflects on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots that took place in New York in 1969 – a major catalyst for the fight for equal rights for the LGBT+ community – and explores the fight that persists globally for the LGBT+ community, half a century later.

In this context, Mehdi Dakhli joined forces with several contemporary artists including Soufiane Ababri, Raphaël Chatelain, Andrej Dubravsky, Cleo Kinnaman, Carlos Motta, and Vittorio Santoro, who have all agreed to unite and raise awareness around the LGBT+ community’s on-going battle for inclusivity.

Dakhli de facto started conceptualising the exhibition project around the work of Raphaël Chatelain, a Los Angeles-based photographer who followed the Caravan Migrants, a group of Central American migrants who attempted to head north from Honduras and southern Mexico with the hope of reaching the United States.

During the migration, an LGBT+ community formed to protect itself from discrimination and aggression perpetrated by other members of the Caravan. For several weeks, Chatelain followed these people on their journey, helping them to collect funds, and documented their daily life through a series of photographs. His work is now on show in the +50 EXHIBITION.

In addition, a limited edition collection of t-shirts featuring a special design by Carlos Motta in collaboration with curator Mehdi Dakhli and creative director Dan Sablon will be available for purchase at the Merci concept store in Paris and online via www.merci-merci.com. Proceeds from the exhibition and t-shirt sales will benefit Rainbow Railroad, a non-profit organization helping the LGBT+ community.