The launch of the Facing Equality portrait series was held on Tuesday 1 August, at UNSW Law.The series, comprised of photographs of esteemed UNSW alumni, can now be seen on the ground floor of the law building. By combining photographic portraits with thoughts and words from a diverse range of UNSW alumni, the project seeks to encourage everyone to face up to the challenge of equality in our time.
The launch of the Facing Equality portrait series was held on Tuesday 1 August, at UNSW Law.
The series, comprised of photographs of esteemed UNSW alumni, can now be seen on the ground floor of the law building. By combining photographic portraits with thoughts and words from a diverse range of UNSW alumni, the project seeks to encourage everyone to face up to the challenge of equality in our time.
A core focus of the evening was on implicit bias. Implicit, not just explicit, forms of bias are a major obstacle to the achievement of equality in Australia today. Yet social psychologists have shown that mere exposure to images of successful individuals from diverse backgrounds can help shift expressions of implicit bias.
An initiative of the UNSW Grand Challenge on Inequality, the Facing Equality portrait series aims to inspire all UNSW students and other members of the community by displaying diverse role models. Many of the exhibition subjects were present on the night, including President of the UNSW Law Alumni Network, Pavithra Vigneswaran, Law alumni Babette Brophy, Nicole Green, David Knoll AM, Katrina Rathie and Dorjee Sun as well as a mix of current students and staff from across faculties. UNSW Law alumni and two subjects of the portraits, Cilla Robinson and Damien Miller, spoke on the evening.
It is planned that a similar photographic series will roll-out across all faculties as part of the Grand Challenge on Inequality.
Thanks to all those who contributed to the exhibition, including Mr Bill Manos, Professors Rosalind Dixon and Richard Holden who both lead the Grand Challenge on Inequality, and Diane Macdonald for her photographic and artistic direction.
