Untitled (Konkursas), 2024 © Francesca Allen

In celebration of their 40th exhibition SERCHIA  presents ‘Konkursas’ a solo exhibition by photographer Francesca Allen. Depicting participants of Lithuania’s Konkursas Pasaulio Ilgaplaukės an annual competition for the world’s longest hair.

Francesca Allen’s Konkursas depicts participants in Lithuania’s Konkursas Pasaulio Ilgaplaukės annual competition for the world’s longest hair. Here hundreds of girls and women with thousands of feet of hair walk the runway and have their lovingly groomed hair measured by gloved judges, before shaking it in a ceremonial finale. Allen’s fascination with ritual and coming-of-age sparked her interest in the contest, one which blends pageantry with folklore and allows the artist to deepen her thoughts on hair within femininity: “Hair influences how we are perceived by others, how professional we appear, our identity, our religion and culture. It plays a huge role in the enactment of self and also our discrimination against others.” The resulting photographs—haunting, funny, slightly surreal—explore the dichotomy between modernity and tradition, obsession and aspiration, and ideas of girl and womanhood.

The exhibition will be on view and open by appointment through 04 July 2026.

To find out more please go to the direct link.