ARTNET
The photography collective South.Southwest is on an ambitious mission to create a new canon of Latin American photography. The group, which formed several years ago under the sponsorship of camera company Leica, brings together photographers from Brazil to Spain, including Sebastián Liste, Cristina de Middel, Álvaro Ybarra Zavala, Laura León, Jesús Rocandio, Adriana Zehbrauskas, Stephen Ferry, Tomás Munita and Emilia Brandão.
Although these photographers’ professional work ranges from documentary and reportage to editorial, the collective’s output has a more singular intention: to capture a poetic and expressly artistic vision of Latin American identity. Now, a selection of the collective’s work is being unveiled to the public for the first time in a gallery exhibition of the same name, curated by Irakli Megre and Isabelle Thul at the re|space gallery in Berlin.
The diverse landscapes, peoples and animals captured in these images offer glimpses into the vastness of Latin American art: pop culture blends with folklore, and the vitality of youth unfolds against ancient terrain. The intimate connection between Latin American peoples and nature is perhaps the common thread shared by these images, which alternate between complementing and contradicting one another, creating a nuanced portrait of a global community. In one corner, the loud, raw, color-saturated images by American photographer Stephen Ferry, depicting intimacy and celebration, contrast with the carefully composed, cinematic scenes by Spanish artist Cristina de Middel.
The exhibition also represents a unique opportunity for photography collectors. Every work in the show is for sale directly from the artists, and every print is unique, so the buyer will be the sole owner of the piece. South.Southwest is meant to be an ongoing project, and the proceeds from the exhibition will fund future projects.
See images from “South.Southwest” below.