Andrea Marti's Photography Series Explores Intimacy and Isolation Among Gen Z

Photographer Andrea Marti has created a series titled 'Everyone is Beautiful and No one is Horny' that examines contemporary intimacy issues among young people. The project originated from her observations about hookup culture, social media, and physical isolation. Marti, who completed an MA in Photography at London College of Communication last year, staged fictionalized images of couples kissing to address what she perceives as declining genuine connection. The series was inspired by an essay of the same name by Raquel S. Benedict and visually references Tom Wood's classic club photography. Marti found it challenging to recruit participants, eventually collaborating with casting director Melissa Ozcolack. The shoot took place at Bethnal Green Working Men's Club in London, using film photography with minimal editing to evoke 1980s aesthetics. One image from the series, 'Crush,' won the Single Image category in British Journal of Photography's Female in Focus Prize 2026. The work will be exhibited at 10.14 Gallery in London from April 24 to May 29, and later at the Image Museum in Dublin as part of the Photo Ireland festival from September 10 to October 25. Marti plans to publish the project as a photobook and continue exploring themes of intimacy and isolation in future work.