Pademba Road Prison. Freetown, Sierra Leone, February 2010 © Fernando Moleres. "Sarh Monserey (center) entered Pademba Road Prison in 2007. He was 13 years old and charged with murder. Sarh had gone down to the river with his best friend who subsequently drowned. The child’s family accused Sarh of murder, and he has spent the last four years in prison awaiting trial. Now 20 years old, Sarh will be released on July 4, 2013. Free Minor Africa and the Saint Michael Center will help Sarh find work and make the transition back to society."
“Moving Walls 20 features work by Katharina Hesse, Yuri Kozyrev, Fernando Moleres, Ian Teh, and Donald Weber. The exhibit highlights societies in the Arab region and in China undergoing transition amidst political and economic change, as well as people victimized by repressive regimes and faulty justice systems in North Korea, Sierra Leone, and Ukraine.”
“The Spring 2013 Moving Walls opening marks the 20th group exhibition organized by the Open Society Foundations. The exhibit comes as many of the regions where we work are in transition. This change and movement are reflected in Yuri Kozyrev’s documentation of uprisings in the Arab region and Ian Teh’s photographs showing the impact of China’s economic rise on the Yellow River. Katharina Hesse combines landscape with portraiture to document North Korean refugees seeking to cross the border into China. In contrast, Donald Weber’s photographs of police interrogations in Ukraine, and Fernando Moleres’s images of young men and boys in an adult prison in Sierra Leone, depict people whose movement is confined. The people in these pictures are in a state of limbo, as deeply flawed justice systems take over and determine their fate.”
Pademba Road Prison. Freetown, Sierra Leone, February 2010 © Fernando Moleres. "Food is scarce in the prison. The only solid meal of the day consists of cassava leaves and rice. Water distribution is inconsistent and incarcerated men and boys sometimes do not receive the daily allocation of one-third of a liter of water. Younger, smaller members of the prison’s population suffer the most. Those with money can buy additional food and water, but most men and boys held at Pademba Road Prison are too poor or do not receive visits from people who could give them money or food."
“In honor of this occasion, Amy Yenkin, the director of the Documentary Photography Project, sat down with the exhibition curators Susan Meiselas and Stuart Alexander to reflect on the history of Moving Walls.”
“AY: How has Moving Walls changed over time relative to the Foundations’ evolving mission and the shifting nature of documentary photography?”
“SM: The Open Society Foundations’ original mission was narrower, principally focused on Eastern Europe and the post–Soviet Union. As the Foundations have grown, the mission has opened up to different territories, both geographically and thematically, and has expanded the exhibition’s scope.”
Banks of the Yellow River. Hejin, Shanxi, China, 2011 © Ian Teh/Panos/Agence VU’. "A couple sits by the banks of the only remaining undeveloped section of the Yellow River on the outskirts of the small city of Hejin. Although China has roughly the same amount of water as the United States, its population is nearly five times greater, making water a precious and increasingly sought-after resource. The heavily industrialized area around Hejin contains some of the most polluted waters in the river. In 2007, after surveying the river, the Yellow River Conservancy Commission stated that one third of the river system had pollution levels that made the water unfit for drinking, aquaculture, industrial use, or even agriculture."
“STUART ALEXANDER: Moving Walls has become not only an important way to recognize individual artists working on pressing issues, but also a place to gather and celebrate documentary photographers and the work they do. Moving Walls has become part of the whole continuum of support for contemporary photojournalism. When you look through the list of the many photographers we’ve featured since 1998, you see renowned photographers, some of whom were just 22 or 23 at the time and at the very beginning of their careers. Some went on to win major awards such as the W. Eugene Smith Grant or a Guggenheim Fellowship, and were accepted into prestigious photography collectives.”
“SM: I think, because of the Foundations’ values, Moving Walls has been a beacon for documentary work. Its support has been critical for documentary photographers to survive and continue believing in what they do. There are prizes that recognize documentary photography, but Moving Walls represents something very counter to prize culture.”
Interrogation room. Ukraine, March 2011 © Donald Weber. "A chair is the ultimate weapon in the interrogator’s arsenal. It can be used to manipulate and control the suspect, defining the balance of power within the room."
“AY: What are the unique aspects of curating a show for a venue like the Open Society Foundations?”
“SM: Unlike at a gallery or museum, the staff does not choose to see the work; they have to see it day after day for nine months. In the old space at 400 West 59th Street, we had a cafeteria to contend with, so we had practical concerns, such as “What can people eat around and live with?” On a more substantive level, the Open Society Foundations have specific thematic and geographical priorities. We decided to create a selection committee of program staff who were working on related issues. It’s always felt important to me that the curatorial process be a collaborative one.”
“SA: I think of Moving Walls as a collective reflection on the times. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the exhibition featured, among others, Abbas, Edward Grazda, and Amy Vitale, who were all dealing with issues surrounding Islam.”
Ajdabiyah, Libya, March 29, 2012 © Yuri Kozyrev/NOOR. "A man stands inside his apartment that was ruined by heavy shelling."
“SM: Although Moving Walls is intended to reflect the Foundations’ mission and values, there have definitely been points in the exhibition’s history where we included work because we thought we should be showing it. Moving Walls addressed the war in Iraq with the work of Benjamin Lowy, Eugene Richards, Sean Hemmerle, and Nina Berman even though the Foundations weren’t doing any direct programming related to the conflict. As Americans, we felt involved and we felt a responsibility to do so.”
“AY: What role will Moving Walls play as the Open Society Foundations enter a new era?”
“SM: Moving Walls will remain a reflective space that’s transformative for people who give themselves the time to experience the work. What I like about the Open Society Foundations as an environment for viewing art is that you don’t go there intending to look at the work, like you would at a museum or a gallery. It’s a surprise encounter. This can create much more of a spark for engagement because it can disorient you. Moving Walls asks its audience to think about something unexpected.”
The Moving Walls 20 exhibit is open free-of-charge to the public from May 8 through December 13, 2013. On display at Open Society Foundations–New York. Open Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Northern China, November 2007 © Katharina Hesse. "Lee Jong-sin (a pseudonym) hides her identity. She waded through the icy water of the Tumen River up to her neck to reach the Chinese border. After walking half naked in the dark for a few kilometers, she found a small house where the residents gave her clothes. Lee’s three daughters and one son remain in North Korea. They know Lee lives in China, and she’s been told that the police in North Korea have put her house under surveillance to prevent other family members from fleeing the country."
(Article courtesy of Moving Walls 20)
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