Exhibition Talk: Veiled Rebellion by Lynsey Addario

When Veiled Rebellion opened at Side Gallery in 2012, it offered a rare look at women’s lives in Afghanistan. Lynsey Addario’s photographs showed teachers, midwives, police recruits and mothers living through war and social change, finding strength and independence within the limits of tradition.

The series began as a National Geographic commission in 2009 and grew from years of Addario’s work in Afghanistan. She gained access to private and often hidden spaces, photographing women who continued to work, study and care for their families despite fear and restriction. The result was a portrait of resilience that challenged how Afghanistan was seen and understood.

We’re sharing Addario’s recorded exhibition talk again to coincide with the release of Love + War, a new documentary about her life and work by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The film follows Addario as she photographs the war in Ukraine and reflects on a career spent documenting conflict and care.

Watching the talk again, what stands out is her clarity. She speaks about the people she met with care and conviction, about why their stories mattered then and still matter now.

This talk was recorded in 2012 and is being re-released as part of our commitment to making the AmberSide Collection and Side's past programme more accessible to wider audiences.