THE EYES OF EARTH BY SOLMAZ DARYANI WINS THE 2021 W AWARD
The Eyes of Earth tells a deeply personal story about the environmental disaster at Lake Urmia as seen through the eyes of Solmaz Daryani, a self-taught photographer, who grew up on the lake. Her grandfather ran a lakefront hotel in the tourist port of Sharafkhaneh and her uncles were sailors. She spent her childhood summers with her grandparents on the lake and, less than a decade ago, her grandfather hosted dozens of people every day. It was the disappearing lake and faded childhood memories that induce her to take the camera and start documenting what was left of the largest lake in the Middle East and the second largest salt lake on the planet. Photo: Solmaz Daryani
PETER BOUCKAERT AND DARCY PADILLA ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF THE FOTOEVIDENCE ASSOCIATION IN FRANCE
Co-presidents Peter Bouckaert and Darcy Padilla announced the launch of the FotoEvidence Association to support and expand the work of FotoEvidence, a publishing house established in 2010, dedicated to documentary photography focused on human rights and social and ecological justice. Originally based in Brooklyn, New York, FotoEvidence now operates from the village of Marseillan in Herault, France.
With the launch of the FotoEvidence Association, Bouckaert and Padilla aim to marshal support to build on the work of the last ten years and expand the reach and influence of FotoEvidence. Bouckaert worked as the emergencies director for Human Rights Watch for 20 years, and co-president Darcy Padilla is an American photojournalist and professor of photojournalism at the University of Wisconsin. Padilla and Bouckaert have assembled an international board with members from France, Belgium, Ethiopia, Switzerland, Ireland and the United States.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Alison Stieven-Taylor interview Peter Bouckaert co-president of FotoEvidence Association
“In 10 years FotoEvidence has done some incredible work to make a very significant impact. We can use what we've learned to accelerate change and engage more broadly. Taking the picture is only the first step. It's not enough just to shine the light, we have to get these images in front of the right eyes.”
Leaving HRW gave Bouckaert the opportunity to get involved in “healing work.” He is now engaged with two youth empowerment projects, one in London and the other in Madagascar where he lives. Taking up the co-chair for the FotoEvidence Foundation allows Bouckaert to continue to agitate for change, and to be involved in visual storytelling which he believes is crucial to affecting change
FotoEvidence
FotoWitness
Interview with Solmaz Daryani by Svetlana Bachevanova
Since 2014, you have been working on a personal story about how the death and revival of Lake Urmia has had consequences on the area and on your family, whose livelihood depended on to the lake. What have you documented?
I documented the impact of the shrinking lake on the people, their livelihoods and the environment around the lake. I photographed migration, loss of jobs, desiccation and damages to agriculture around the lake. I also tried to show how people damaged their environment with excessive use of limited resources and how this mismanagement later impacted their lives.
FotoEvidence
Bookstore
THE EYES OF EARTH BY SOLMAZ DARYANI
It tells a deeply personal story about the environmental disaster at Lake Urmia as seen through the eyes of Solmaz Daryani, a self-taught photographer, who grew up on the lake. Her grandfather ran a lakefront hotel in the tourist port of Sharafkhaneh and her uncles were sailors. She spent her childhood summers with her grandparents on the lake and, less than a decade ago, her grandfather hosted dozens of people every day. It was the disappearing lake and faded childhood memories that induce her to take the camera and start documenting what was left of the largest lake in the Middle East and the second largest salt lake on the planet.
FotoEvidence
THE GALLERY
JOSUE RIVAS
Last prayer at camp. Oceti Sakowin Camp, Cannon Ball, ND, USA. December 2016
Black and White photograph
Printed on archival paper
Print size: 8x10 and 16x20 inches
* The prints are produced at Addretouch Lab, Barcelona on the highest Fine Art Paper Matte or Baryta both of them with Digigraphie Quality Certificate.
* FotoEvidence Authentic Stamp on the verso.
To inquire about an image from the book Standing Strong or about the price contact Andrea Kennedy at info@fotoevidence.com
FotoEvidence
NEWS
From February 24th -28th FotoEvidence will take part in the first virtual New York Art Book Fair, organized by Printed Matter. For four days FotoEvidence books will be exhibited online, together with some special edition books and prints from our gallery.
Register to participate in our live events:
February 25th at 4 p, EST- Darcy Padilla in a conversation with Hannah Kozak and Charlotte Schmitz whose books He Threw The Last Punch Too Hard and La Puente are fruit s of the FotoEvidence W Award.
February 26rh at 2 pm James Whitlow Delano talks about photo activism in the fight for climate justice with Josue Rivas, Solmaz Daryani and Fausto Podavini based on their books Black Tsunami, Standing Strong, The Eyes of Earth and Omo Change. Join us at the FotoEvidence YouTube Channel.
February 27th at 2pm EST Journalist Alice Driver will moderate a conversation with 19 photographers from Latin America about their experience covering the pandemic and new coming book Red Flag.