This year, I had the amazing opportunity to show my collage project Code Couture: Breaking the STEM dress code, in Stockholm. My dream of combining Arts with Science, something that for years I considered impossible, is coming true.

How and why I started the project

Early this year, I attended a course offered by the organization I work for. One lecture focused on how important it is to create a sense of belonging in training environments. The instructors showed an image of a group of young, white men casually dressed, surrounded by computers. When asked what we saw, many attendees responded: “Programmers!” That moment stayed with me. I remember thinking – Really? Is this still how we perceive people in tech?  I reflected on the powerful role that appearance, clothing, and stereotypes have in shaping who belongs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math).

That same week, I came across a call for artists for the FemTech + Feminist Tech Exhibition at KTH. The exhibition would bring together interdisciplinary artworks exploring intimate health, data, and care from feminist perspectives. This idea came to my mind: What about creating collages challenging stereotypes around who belongs in tech and science, and what they are “supposed” to look like? . I reached out to the organizers to ask whether my project was a good fit they said yes!  -ohh yes! excitement mixed with a huuuge fear! –

Building the project: collages & voices

I love to make collages, and from the start, I knew I wanted to use them as the medium. Collages have the unique power to raise awareness, provoke thought, and encourage dialogue. Collages have long been used to challenge stereotypes, break down barriers, and encourage diversity and inclusion.

But I didn’t want the project to be just about my perspective. I wanted to explore how appearance and gender expression intersect with how competence, credibility, and belonging are perceived in STEM. To do that, I invited women and non-binary people in STEM to share their reflections anonymously through a short form. First, I circulated the form with the Pink Programming community, the organization for women and non-binary people in tech, where I volunteer. I also shared the form with colleagues working in life sciences. Questions include

I received responses from AI developers, Java backend engineers, molecular biologists, and researchers in biology, among others. Many revealed the subtle but pervasive ways they feel pressured to hide parts of themselves to blend in. A recurring theme was the need to tone down self-expression in new professional environments, especially when entering male-dominated spaces. This impacted not only their elections on what to wear (colors, makeup, clothing) but also how much to smile or appear cheerful. What???? Yes, I know, it is terrible.

I used these voices to inspire my collages and, with permission, I displayed some of them next to the artworks. This gave viewers a deeper emotional and social context.

The exhibition

The exhibition was incredible! It was at KTH’s iconic Reactor Hall – the former site of Sweden’s first nuclear reactor. The reactor was dismantled decades ago, and today it serves as a museum, cultural venue, and creative space. 

During the exhibition I had the chance to connect with inspiring artists and researchers showing projects on topics ranging from intimate health, the vaginal microbiome, and menstrual care to fertility tracking, consent, climate crisis, synthetic voice, and data ethics. The diversity of work was powerful and thought-provoking.

I am so proud that my project sparked deep conversations and reflections ( by the way, thanks Georgios Andrikopoulos for the great talk and the nice cover picture!). Many attendees came up to me to say that the theme of appearance-based stereotypes in STEM deeply resonated with them. Several women thanked me for bringing visibility to the issue, shared personal stories, and emphasized how real and widespread these experiences are.

All of this reaffirmed one thing: this conversation is not only relevant, it’s urgent. I left the exhibition feeling more committed than ever to continue this work, expand the project, and keep pushing the dialogue forward.

Next steps for the project

Since the exhibition, the project has continued to grow in exciting directions that I never imagined. I’m thrilled to have been invited to show the pieces at the Pink Programming Festival during the organization’s 10th anniversary. I also reached out to friends and former colleagues in STEM in Argentina ( where I am from originally). The project caught the attention of the Office for the Promotion of Equity and Gender at the University of Buenos Aires. We’re now exploring the possibility of organizing a similar initiative there!

And this is just the beginning! Stay tuned for the news!