Photo Show ? The Majority World Photo Agency and The Guardian partner for Insider, Outsider? in?London
INSIDER, OUTSIDER?
Insider, Outsider? Photography that challenges perceptions of the developing world?runs until 22 July at the Guardian Gallery in London. It isMajority World?s first UK exhibition featuring 17 emerging photographers from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Photos above ? Shadi Ghadirian and below ? Farzana Hossen
?Whilst ?insiders? locally, many photographers from the developing world are ?outsiders? on the global image market, remaining under represented as storytellers about their own countries.
?Local photographers have an insider perspective that is unique, reflecting on and revealing previously untold stories around them ? critical, thoughtful and intimate stories close to home. Their privileged access enables them to develop an intimate understanding of their subjects and theme.? Press release.
It?s also interesting to see that staged work by Shadi Ghadirian (image above with yellow rubber glove) is included in this show as her work will also be included in the upcoming show?Light From the Middle East?at the V&A, see previous?Hotshoe Blog post.?This raises the question of the types of work on show and I?m wondering whether Ghadirian?s work is the only work that is staged in this show, rather than coming from a documentary tradition.
Majority World Photo Agency?supports these photographers by making their work visible, and by enabling them to earn money by selling globally. In so doing, it also contributes to a greater diversity of voices and viewpoints describing the developing world. The chairman is photographer, writer and human rights activist?Shahidul Alam.
See over for a list of all the photographers included and a couple more images?
? Andr?s Lofiego, El Ojo a Cuerda
Featuring images taken by:
A. M. Ahad, Bangladesh
Aaron Sosa, Panama/Venezuela
Adolphus Opara, Nigeria
Andr?s Lofiego, Argentina
Andrew Esiebo, Nigeria
Daniel Pati?o Flor, Ecuador
Dominic Sansoni, Sri Lanka
Fabrice Monteiro, Benin
Farzana Hossen, Bangladesh
Kishor Sharma, Nepal
M?rio Macilau, Mozambique
M. Anisul Hoque, Bangladesh
Neo Ntsoma, South Africa
Samar Hazboun, Palestine
Shadi Ghadirian, Iran
Shankar Sarkar, India
Tammy David, Philippines
? Shahidul Alam,
Majority World Photo Agency is ?an innovative social enterprise that works with talented photographers from the developing world. We specialise in high quality imagery that provides unique insights into local cultures, development issues, environments and contemporary lifestyles in these diverse continents. We also work with clients to commission assignments with our experienced photographers who understand the language, the culture, and the locality because it is their own?. From the press release.
Very excited about The Majority World Exhibition and bringing your visions of the world to my hometown of London. ?I have been an admirer?
of your organisation and as a photojournalist always enjoy viewing the wonderful images and reading the enlightening and inspirational stories from?
your members.?
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In this exhibition, according to Drik sources, at least one photo of Abu Ala has been shown; it was also published in the Guardian
? supplementary, a black and white portrait of a folk artist but the description of the subject of the photograph and the
photographer are left out unlike others. It is also left out of the list of photographers given here. Is it purposive or inadvertent?
What is the reason for this differential treatment?
According to the curator Marcia Chandra, the list of photographers refers to the ones featured in the exhibition. The curators included some extra images in the supplement, where Abu Ala’s photo has been used. Since the list refers only to photographers who were included in the exhibition, Abu Ala’s name is missing. However since 5000 copies of the supplement have been printed and are being distributed worldwide, all of these pictures will still get wide coverage. So congratulations.
Shahidul