![]() It seems that boxing rings, athletics tracks and baseball fields are spaces in which the movement is celebrated yet at the border crossings and beaches of the First World, it is not. At this very moment, millions of migrants are performing feats of life-threatening athleticism to improve their existence. It points towards a condition that is currently experienced by people across the planet. While this series focuses on a small community of Cubans, it subtly addresses a wider question of global mobility. The lives they wish to leave behind, and the ones that they dream of. Gazing at these bodies, we are forced to imagine the movements of which they are capable. ![]() For these individuals, their bodies are either a means of escape or the very obstacle. Each static body resonates with tension and potential. In each case, the subject is frozen motionless in the frame. 24th 28th September 2019 Image © Donell Gumiran This travelling exhibition marks the culmination of the fifth edition of the Life Framer Photography Prize, with further shows in Milan and a location TBA. I wanted to capture this dilemma in my images. Their chances of change will end where the waves meet the beach. But most of them won’t move, they’ll remain fixed to the spot. Their lives will suddenly be transformed by geographic, economic and social mobility. If they succeed, they will be propelled onto a global platform. Whether their careers succeed or fail depends on their ability to control their own physical movement. Each individual is celebrated for his or her ability to move, be that to swing a bat, dance on stage or even to duck and weave in the boxing ring. In this series, I explore this subject through portraits of Cuba’s top athletes and performers. If one thing defines their lives, it’s the question of mobility. Each of them plans their own means of escape. ![]() While the communist regime retains a certain level of popularity among older generations, younger Cubans dream of a way out. Their lives are limited to the shores of their sun-kissed island. © Katinka Herbert, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2020 Sony World Photography Awards
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |