Victoria Verseau

Victoria Verseau (* 1988) is a Swedish artist and filmmaker. In her works she
explores themes such as body, memory, identity and social structures. The works
are often based on her personal experiences of being trans and a new woman. Based
on her own story, she examines larger existential questions; who we are, how we
exist and who we aspire to be.

 There are references to poetry, spirituality and philosophy in the artist-
ry. Through her art, she seeks to capture, preserve, and recreate the ephemeral
— memories that have shaped identity. The constant movement of transition high-
lights the invisible—layers of time and how energies from past events transmit
into physical objects and places.

 There is often a contrast and ambivalence in the works, shifting between the
serious and the comical, the intangible and the tangible, the numbing, demystified
everyday and the ensouled world, and the surreal ambiance of dreams. She seeks to
highlight untold stories on the fringes of society, shaped by oppressive social
structures. Her works deals with in-betweenness, loneliness, but also community,
liberation, and insight. Through her works she explores ideas of transition and
remembrance, as well as the ambivalence of telling personal stories while trying
to maintain privacy.

 Victoria has a broad practice that includes sculpture, large-scale installa-
tions, performance, video works, feature and short films, fiction, and documentary.
She is based in Stockholm where she earned a master’s degree at the Royal Insti-
tute of Art in 2020.

She has recently presented solo exhibitions at Fotogalleriet Oslo ‘Hope is a
dangerous thing for women like us’(2023), Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm,
’Approaching a Ghost’(2022), and Uppsala Konstmuseum, ‘Engender my past’(2021).

In the summer of 2024 Victorias debut feature film ‘Trans Memoria’ premiered at
the A-listed Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in The Proxima Competition
and was featured in outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. 
In 2025 won the prestigeous prize The Dragon Award for Best Nordic Documentary at 
The Gothenburg International Film Festival, a prize that has previously been received
by filmmakers such as Anna Eborn, Joshua Oppenheimer, and Jerzy Sladkowski.
In 2023, she was invited to present a work-in-progress version at the Cannes Film Festival, 
where she won an award. Both the feature film and the exhibitions are part of the 
overarching project ‘A Body of Ghosts,’ which centers on Victoria’s transition from 
boy to woman and the loss of her close friend Meril, who decided to end her life 
three years after the gender-affirming surgery that Victoria and Meril had in 
Thailand at the same time.

In 2021, Victorias video work ‘Approaching a Ghost’ was selected by Bonniers
Konsthall as the Swedish entry for Artists’ Film International and was screened
at several art institutions worldwide, including Whitechapel Gallery London,
Fundación Proa Buenos Aires, Hammer Museum Los Angeles, KWM Art Center Beijing,
NBK Berlin, Para Site Hong Kong, Project 88 Mumbai, Crawford Art Gallery Ireland,
GAMeC Bergamo, and Istanbul Modern. The same year the video work ‘A Ghost’s Gaze’
and the sculptural work ‘5, 6, 7, 8, 9 inches 12, 14, 16, 18, 20’ centimeters’
were acquired in 2022 by the Public Art Agency Sweden and the Uppsala Art Museu

In 2017, she was the first trans person to receive the ‘Anna Award’ for her work
in film, a grant awarded by Women in Film & Television and UN Women Sweden.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022 - 2023 | Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for Women Like Us, Fotogalleriet Oslo, Norway.
fotogalleriet.no/exhibition/victoria-verseau

2021 - 2022 | Approaching a Ghost | Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden.
bonnierskonsthall.se/utstallning/artists-film-international-2021

2021 | Engender My Past | Uppsala Art Museum, Sweden. https://bit.ly/40YmXYZ

2019 | A Body of Ghosts | Galleri Mejan, Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm, Sweden.
victoriaverseau.com/2019-A-Body-of-Ghosts

2017 | Through the Lookinglass | Hangmen Projects, Stockholm, Sweden.
albabaeza.com/blog/portfolio/through-the-looking-glass

RECENT AND COMING PREMIERES / SCREENINGS

Trans Memoria, feature film, 2024,(previous title Meril), 1h 12 min.
Director, scriptwriter, editor, costume, set design, actor.

2024 | Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Proxima Competition, Czech Republic, (World Premiere).
kviff.com/en/programme/film/69/42561-trans-memoria

IDFA International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, Best of fest, Netherlands.
festival.idfa.nl/film/03eb86d9-51ec-427b-a4a4-277c1eaefcc9/trans-memoria

2025 |
Fondazione Prada, Milan, Italy.
ticketing.fondazioneprada.org/ticketing/UIPublic/CinemaHome.aspx
SXSW South by Southwest, Austin Texas, US.
schedule.sxsw.com/2025/films/2206829
Gothenburg International Film Festival, Sweden, Competition.
Winner of ‘The Dragon Award’ for Best Nordic Documentary 2025.
https://bit.ly/41hE6Ow
BFI: Flare LGBTQI+ Film Festival, London, UK
Tempo Documentary Film Festival, Sweden, Competition.
Festival de cinéma Travelling Rennes, France.
Festival Premiers Plans d’Angers, France, Competition.

2024 |Kasseler Doc Fest, Germany, Competition.
Winner of ‘The Golden Key’, the big prize for best Documentary.
Aux Écrans du RÉEL Festival de Films Documentaires,Competition.
Winner of The Grand Jury Prize.
Belfort Entrevues Film Festival, Belfort France, Competition.
Winner of the ‘One + One Award’ for best sound design + Special Mention.
Queer Lisboa - International Queer Film Festival, Portugal, Competition.
Special Mention.
Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy, Finland.
Reykjavík International Film Festival, Iceland.
Nordic Film Days Lübeck, Germany, Competition.
Leeds International Filmfestival, UK, Competition.
Tromsø International Film Festival, Norway.
Chéries-Chéris Paris Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, France.
Cork International Film Festival, Ireland.
The 58th Hof International Film Festival, Germany, Competition.

2023 | Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Docs / Marche du Film, France.
(previous title Meril) - work in progress / feature film.
https://bit.ly/3COR3pP

EDUCATION

2017 - 2020 MFA | The Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm
2014 - 2016 BA Fine Art | The Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm
2016 - 2017 Directing for Film | Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Art / Filmbasen
2013 Exchange | Interarchitecture | Rietveldt Academie, Amsterdam
2010 - 2012 BA Design | (HDK) School of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg
2009 - 2010 Spatial Design | KV Art School, Gothenburg

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023 - 2024 | Four Films at Gallery Billytown Haag, Netherlands.
Exhibiting artists Verena Blok (NL/PL), Eugene Sundelius von Rosen (SE)
Lisa Tan (US/SE) and Victoria Verseau (SE).

2023 | The Impersonal Verb And The Hidden Subject at La Capella, Barcelona / Index Foundation,
Stockholm, Sweden.
with amongst others Roxy Farhat, Johanna Gustafsson Fürst, Runo Lagomarsino and Iris Smeds.

2022 | LUX & MATRIX curated by Rosa Martinez, first female curator of Venice Biennale 2015.
ACVIC Centre d’Arts Contemporànies, Vic (Barcelona), Catalonia.
Other exhibiting artists Louise Bourgeois, Niki de Saint Phalle .
acvic.org/en/exhibition-projects/3904-lux-matrix-3

2022 | CORONASAMLINGEN - Public Art Agency Sweden | Havremagasinet Boden / Skissernas Museum Lund, Sweden.
skissernasmuseum.se/utstallningar/coronasamlingen

2021 | Future Watch -10 Artists of Our Time | Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Stockholm, Sweden.
victoriaverseau.com/Foreign-Bod

2021 | All Flesh is Hay, Gislaved Konsthall, Gislaved, Sweden.
victoriaverseau.com/All-Flesh-Is-Hay

2021 | The Spring Exhibition, Galleri Arnstedt, Östra Karup/Båstad, Sweden.
galleriarnstedt.se/victoria-verseau

SELECTED SCREENINGS
A Ghost’s Gaze, 2021, video work, 24 min.
Editor, director, scriptwriter, producer.

2024 | Statens Konstråd / The Swedish Art Agency, Stockholm, Sweden.
‘Twilight land – five art films from the collection’.
2023 | The Feminist Library, London, UK.
2022 | VEGA SCENE, Oslo, Norway.

Approaching a Ghost, 2020, video work, 20 min.
Editor, director, scriptwriter, producer.
Selected as the Swedish contribution for Artists’ Film International 2021
by Bonniers Konsthall.

Exercise One, short fiction, 14 min.
Editor, director, scriptwriter.

2017 | Outfest LA, Los Angeles US, (World Premiere).
Swedish Shortfilm c/o Folkets Bio, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Sweden, Kiruna, Umeå.
Encounters Film and Animation Festival, Bristol UK.
Czech National Television, Czech Republic .
Gothenburg International Film Festival, Sweden.
Mezipatra Queer Film Festival, Prague, Czech Republic.
Lovers Filmfestival, Torino Italy.

PERFORMANCES
2024 | Skövde Art Museum, Performance ‘Homecoming’.
2021 | Kulturhuset Stadsteatern/Culture Center Stockholm, Performance ‘Foreign Body’.
2021 | Uppsala Art Museum, Performance ‘Foreign Body’.

REPRESENTED IN ART INSTITIONS / SOLD WORKS

Statens Konstråd / The Swedish Art Agency.
The video work A Ghost’s Gaze (2021).
The sculptural work Shelf 27 (2023).

Uppsala Konsthall / Uppsala Art Museum.
The video work A Ghost’s Gaze (2021).
The sculptural work 5,6,7,8,9 inches 12,14,16,18,20 centimeters. (2019 - 2022).

SELECTED AWARDS / SUPPORTS / SCHOLARSHIPS / GRANTS

2025 | ‘The Dragon Award’ for Best Nordic Documentary at Gothenburg Film Festival 2025
for the feature Trans Memoria.
goteborgfilmfestival.se/dragonawardvinnare2025
Project Support for the feature ‘Trans Love’ from The Swedish Arts Grants Committee.

2024 | 2 year working grant from Swedish Art Grants Committee.
Winner of ‘The Golden Key’ for an outstanding documentary work, Kasseler Doc Fest, German
https://bit.ly/3X6nkzp
Aux Écrans du RÉEL Festival de Films Documentaires,Competition.
Winner of The Grand Jury Prize.
https://www.assochroma.com/index.php/concours-1er-doc
Belfort Entrevues Film Festival, Belfort France, Competition.
Winner of the ‘One + One Award’ for best sound design + Special Mention
festival-entrevues.com/en/news/2024/11/2024-palmares

2023 | The Postproduction Award, Cannes Docs / Cannes Film Festival 2023 for the feature Trans Memoria (Meril).
https://bit.ly/3COR3pP
The Swedish Film Institute, production funding for the feature Trans Memoria (Meril).
filminstitutet.se/en/news/2023/funding_202304

2022 | EURimages, co-production funding for the feature film Trans Memoria (Meril).
https://tinyurl.com/y3au823z
The Swedish Film Institute, development funding for the feature film Boundaries.
IASPIS scholarship Swedish Art Grants Committee.
Swedish Art Grants Committee, 1 year working grant.
Stocholm Culture Scholarship.
https://tinyurl.com/2n49xm9w

2021 | Gotlands Filmfond, production support for the feature film Trans Memoria (Meril).
Cinema du Monde, production support for the feature film Trans Memoria (Meril).
https://tinyurl.com/rp3rb394

2020 | Uppsala Municipality Art Scholarship.
Längmanska Culture Fund.
Stig Hedberg Sculpture Scholarship.
The Swedish Film Institute, development funding for the feature Trans Memoria (Meril).

2019 | Frame Filmfestival / Film Cloud Pitch Award forthe feature Boundaries.
Vision du Reel Pitch, Mediterranean Film Institute, MFI Script 2 Film script development residency award.

2017 | The Anna Award, Women in Film & Television and UN Women Sweden.
wift.se/nyheter/anna-priset-vinnare-2017-2

2016 | Film i Väst, production funding for the shortfilm Exercise One.
The Swedish Filminstitute, production funding for the shortfilm Exercise One.

SELECTED PRESS

Interview on ‘Trans Memoria’ for The Hollywood Reporter.
https://tinyurl.com/4h2sm25h

Exclusive interview on my upcoming feature film ‘Trāns Love’ / ‘Trāns Amor’ for Variety.
https://tinyurl.com/5n7cj5bb

Review of ‘Trans Memoria’ in Cineuropa.
cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/464335

Review of ‘Trans Memoria’ in Purple Hour.
https://tinyurl.com/4d37nfkk

Interview about Trans Memoria for Cineuropa.
cineuropa.org/en/interview/464450/

Trans Memoria wins The Dragon Award for Best Nordic Documentary at Gothenburg Film Festival 2025.
https://bit.ly/41hE6Ow

Review of ‘Engender My Past’ at Uppsala Art Museum Kunstkritikk - 2021.
kunstkritikk.se/nar-tecknet-for-man-betyder-kvinna

‘Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for Women Like Us’ - one of the most memorable exhibitions of 2022 according
to Kunstkritikks editor-in-chief Mariann Enge.
kunstkritikk.se/24-desember-4

Review of ‘Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for Women Like Us’ at Fotogalleriet Oslo in Kunstavisen - 2022.
kunstavisen.no/artikkel/2022/utenfor-rekkevidde

“Nordic filmmakers Victoria Verseau and Virpi Suutari grab awards at Cannes Docs - 2023.”
https://bit.ly/3COR3pP

“Screen Daily Outplay boards Victoria Verseau’s Karlovy Vary documentary ‘Trans Memoria’ (exclusive).”
https://tinyurl.com/y4uudb9h

Interview by Hammer Museum, LA, US.
hammer.ucla.edu/online-artists-film-international-2021/victoria-verseau

Review of ‘Approaching a Ghost’ at Bonniers Konsthall 2021 by The Swedish Radio / SR
/Starts at 3 min 21 sec.
https://tinyurl.com/yc7uwdkm