From 20 May to 1 June 2025, SOL Gallery in Fitzroy will host The Power of Choice, a powerful and deeply human photographic exhibition by award-winning photojournalist Julian Kingma, who has turned his lens toward one of society’s most profound and rarely documented subjects: the lives of terminally ill people who have chosen Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD).
The official opening night will take place on Wednesday 21 May, with Kingma in attendance alongside Go Gentle Australia’s founder Andrew Denton to speak about the project and the remarkable individuals who entrusted Kingma and Go Gentle with their stories.
Two years in the making, The Power of Choice is a first-of-its-kind exhibition in Australia, and perhaps globally, offering a compassionate and unflinching look at people facing death on their own terms.
Kingma, known for his emotionally resonant portraiture and decades of work in editorial photography, has created an exhibition that is as thought-provoking as it is humane.
“This is not an exhibition about death—it’s about dignity, autonomy, and love,” says Kingma.
“These are stories of courage, acceptance and clarity. The individuals and families I photographed weren’t asking us to feel sorry for them —they were asking to be seen.”
The exhibition, based on Kingma’s book by the same name, invites public conversation on the still-contentious topic of VAD, presenting the humanity behind a decision that remains taboo for many.
With care, honesty, and artistic vision, Kingma offers a space for reflection and empathy, challenging us to engage with end-of-life choices in a more open way—and to ask, perhaps for the first time, ‘What constitutes a good death?
Exhibition Details
The Power of Choice
Dates: 20 May – 1 June 2025
Opening Night Event: Wednesday 21 May, from 6:00-8:30pm
Venue: SOL Gallery, 420 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Melbourne
Admission: Free
Website: https://solgallery.com.au/