LENS
Refugees and Migrants Tell Their Own Stories Through Photographs
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/28/lens/refugees-and-migrants-tell-their-own-stories-through-photographs.html
The
25th annual exhibition by the Open Society Documentary Photography
Project elevates the voices of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.
James
Jean, who is Haitian-American, and Patrice Worthy, who is
African-American, wearing traditional clothing from their parents’
heritage. New York, United States, 2016. From the series “After
Migration.”CreditWalé Oyéjidé
Image
In
recent years, photographers from all over have flocked to countries
affected by the refugee crisis, following the travails of migrants
seeking refuge in Turkey, Greece and Lebanon. Others went to the source
of the exodus, highlighting tragedies in Myanmar, Afghanistan and South
Sudan.
In “Another Way Home,”
the 25th annual “Moving Walls” exhibition series by the Open Society
Documentary Photography Project, migration takes center stage not only
because of our times, but because it has been a constant theme
throughout the series’ history.
This one stands out for what it lacks: images of suffering.
After
receiving more than 400 applications, a panel selected eight multimedia
projects by 13 photographers and artists. In addition to showing their
work for several months, each participant has also received a fellowship
to further develop their work on migration.
“I
wish to become a dragon and burn the scarves and everything in that
tent.” Kawthar, 16, in Lebanon. From the series “Live, Love, Refugee.”CreditOmar Imam
Image
“We
had to eat grass, but I couldn’t pass it through my throat. Yet I
forced myself to swallow in front of the children so they would accept
it as food.” Amenah, 41, in Lebanon. From the series “Live, Love,
Refugee.”CreditOmar Imam
Image
A
young girl living in a refugee camp witnesses snowfall for the first
time in her life. Utrecht, the Netherlands, December 2017. From the
series “The Passport.”CreditThana Faroq
Image
The
series has been expanding beyond photography and now embraces all kinds
of visual culture: Among the works this year are murals and virtual
reality 360 videos.
While varying in format, all of the projects are deeply personal, and, for lack of a better word, refreshing.
“What
we want to emphasize and what’s important to focus on is to resist
narratives that portray refugees or migrants as a problem,” said Yukiko
Yamagata, the acting interim director of the Documentary Photography
Project.
Several
of the participants are refugees or undocumented immigrants themselves,
and some of them have collaborated with immigrant communities to create
and share their stories. Their approaches range from celebratory to
absurd, political to intimate. Notions of exile and resilience run
through the exhibit, which is on view at the Open Society Foundations offices in New York.
Roberta
Chalini is a member of Mujeres en Movimiento, a self-organized group
that explores the use of dance, art, ancestral remedies and civic
engagement to empower Latina immigrant women in Corona, Queens. 2018.CreditSol Aramendi/Project Luz
Image
Valeria Reyes is a member of Mujeres en Movimiento. Queens, 2018.CreditSol Aramendi/Project Luz
Image
In
line with elevating the perspective of migrants and refugees, the
participants’ native languages are prioritized over English on the walls
and in the project statements. That way, visitors may understand the
“frustration of having your experience as it relates to language come
second, much in the way that an immigrant, migrant or refugee would
experience when finding their way in their destination country,” said
Siobhan Riordan, the exhibition specialist.
This year’s edition of “Moving Walls” features “Across la Tierra” by Layqa Nuna Yawar, an Ecuadorian-born artist; “Live, Love, Refugee,” by Omar Imam, a Syrian photographer and videographer; and “After Migration,” by the Philadelphia-based designer and artist Walé Oyéjidé.
Exhibited
against a crimson red backdrop, Mr. Oyéjidé’s stately fashion portraits
feature models who are themselves migrants. “It is true that many of
these individuals who cross the seas and deserts in search of a place
called home endure much and suffer much,” he said ahead of the
reception. But, he added, “These are not the totalities of their
experiences.”
Mr. Oyéjidé said he
presents his subjects “as we all would hope to be seen. At their best.
At their most regal and sophisticated.”
First
as lookouts and later as full-fledged gang members, neighborhood
children are groomed at a young age by their brothers, cousins and
neighbors. San Pedro Sula, Honduras, August 2017. From the series “The
Right to Grow Old.”CreditTomas Ayuso
Image
Claudia
Rivera, 40, is a doctor. Her family immigrated to the United States in
1983 when she was 7 years old to escape the civil war. After living in
the United States for years, she eventually returned to El Salvador.
September 2017. From the series “Welcome to Intipucá City.”CreditAnita Pouchard Serra/Koral Carballo/Jessica Ávalos
Image
A
miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty stands in the garden of a
house belonging to a family who once lived in the United States and
returned to El Salvador to retire. September 2017. From the series
“Welcome to Intipucá City.”CreditAnita Pouchard Serra/Hans Lucas
Image
In “The Passport,”
the Yemeni photographer Thana Faroq documents her own journey fleeing
her country for a new life in the Netherlands. She also juxtaposes
black-and-white portraits of other refugees with handwritten letters in
which they shared their experiences. (Both Mr. Imam and Ms. Faroq could
not attend the exhibit because their visas were denied.)
The series also includes “Project Luz,” by the Argentine artist Sol Aramendi; “Welcome to Intipucá City,” by Jessica Ávalos, Koral Carballo, and Anita Pouchard Serra; “The Right to Grow Old,” by the photographer Tomas Ayuso; and “Fractured Connections,” by the FRPxTN collective, a collaboration between the Family Reunions Project and Tierra Narrative.
In
“The Right to Grow Old,” Mr. Ayuso charts the dangerous route Honduran
migrants have taken to reach the United States and explores the stories
of those who prefer to settle in Mexico rather than further risk their
lives with human traffickers.
At the
heart of all these projects is the need to survive — the root of nearly
all migration. That comes across in the title of the series, “Another
Way Home.” It was inspired by a handwritten letter from “The Passport”
in which one subject quoted “Home,” a poem by Warsan Shire.
The line read, “No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.”
A
public mural made by Layqa Nuna Yawar in collaboration with the
organization Esperanza Neighborhood Project, led by members of the local
community. New Brunswick, New Jersey, July 2018. From the series
“Across la Tierra.”CreditTico Photography
Image
A 360-degree video “postcard” experience in Guatemala, 2016. From the series “Fractured Connections.”CreditFamily Reunions Project/Tierra Narrative
Image
Karla
wore a hat that belonged to her brother, who had gone missing for
several months. San Pedro Sula, Honduras, April 2018. From the series
“The Right to Grow Old.”CreditTomas Ayuso
Image
No comments:
Post a Comment