TIME TO HEAL
A tribute to the healthcare professionals fighting against the pandemic in the hospitals of Madrid, Spain.
Madrid, April 2020
Digital format
Project carried out with the kind collaboration and support of Leica Cameras, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Hierro, Hospital Gregorio Marañon, Hospital Sureste, where 150 people were photographed.
Shot with a Leica M10 Monochrome
In mid-March 2020, the global media was turning its attention to the coronavirus crisis in my adopted city, Madrid/Spain. The press entitled HEROES all nurses and doctors working at the hospitals. I determined to support the public healthcare workers with a portrait photography project. Three of Madrid’s covid19 hospitals, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Hierro, Majadahonda, Hospital Gregorio Marañon and Hospital Universitario del Sureste opened their doors to me and I photographed 150 public healthcare workers. To me all professionals from all departments are equally important and essential for the healthcare system, so I invited members of all departments to the project.
At the outset of the project I had two goals: firstly, to pay homage to those on the battle field of this chapter in our history, and secondly, to provide them with a safe space in which to rest and breathe, even just for a short while.
The photo sessions quickly developed a pattern. Each person arrived enthusiastic, smiling even, but that energy disintegrated as the wall between us came down and they began to share their stories. Every single one was exhausted: physically shattered from their daily 12-16 hour shifts and mentally and emotionally drained from the challenging and oftentimes distressing nature of their jobs. Like most of their hospital co-workers, including cleaners, student doctors, and management staff, they were also suffering the toll of the personal sacrifices that they have had to make to keep their own loved ones safe.
We call them heroes, but upon photographing and talking to them, I came to understand that this label was adding to their burden rather than easing it. Heroes possess infinite strength. The people in front of me were human, albeit humans doing extraordinary things, and it was clear that they were on the verge of collapse. “we don’t have super-powers”.
Text: Emilia Brandão
PROLOGUE
From the shadows of reality, a revealing light emerges, a spark of truth unleashed through the lens of a camera. Emilia Brandão, a photographer with roots in São Paulo, has used her talent and passion to illuminate the darkest and deepest moments of human existence. Her project, “Time to Heal,” is a powerful and heartbreaking testament to our time, an ode to human resilience amid a global crisis.
Brandão, whose work has been recognized and acclaimed globally, has dedicated her life to portraying life in all its forms. In her work, psychology, divinity, and the complexity of life intertwine with everyday simplicity, creating art that reflects not only the external world but also the inner self.
“Time to Heal” was born in the spring of 2020, when the world was engulfed in the struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Madrid, Emilia’s adopted city, was at the epicenter of the crisis. Instead of retreating, Emilia set out to pay tribute to the heroes on the front lines: public health workers. Through her lens, she captured 150 of these brave professionals, from doctors and nurses to ambulance drivers and cleaning staff.
This was not an easy project. Each photo session revealed another face of the harsh reality of the pandemic: physical and emotional exhaustion, desperation, and frustration. But it also captured strength and determination, humanity and courage. Brandão wanted to show that these heroes were not superhuman but real people, extraordinary in their effort and sacrifice.
“Time to Heal” is much more than a photographic project. It is an invitation to reflect, to see beyond appearances, and to value collective effort in times of crisis. In each portrait, each lost gaze, each tear shed, lies a story of resistance and hope.
Emilia Brandão Carneiro’s intimate and heartfelt photography is a journey into her deepest self, a reflection of her experience as a woman, mother, and Latin American immigrant in Europe. But more than that, it is a contemplation of the interconnectedness of our actions and the importance of empathy and solidarity in times of uncertainty.
In the midst of a silent city, in a world on pause, Emilia found a way to do something for others, to use her talent to honor those who were doing everything possible to save lives. And so, in this time of healing, she leaves us a legacy of black and white images, powerful testimonies of a moment in history we would prefer to forget, but whose memory is essential to moving forward.
Emilia Brandão Carneiro’s work is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, humanity can shine with a powerful and healing light. Through her lens, she invites us to see the world with a new perspective, to value life in all its forms, and to celebrate the resilience and strength of the human spirit. Through “Time to Heal,” she offers us a unique view of life, struggle, and healing in times of crisis.
Text: Álvaro Ybarra Zavala, director Leica Gallery, Spain
EXHIBITIONS, AWARDS and PUBLICATIONS:
Honorable Mention, 18th Julia Margaret Cameron Award, 22
Solo exhibition, Casa de la Imagen, Logroño, 21
Shortlisted, Descubrimientos PhotoEspaña, Madrid, 21
Solo exhibition, Leica Gallery, Madrid, 20
Selected at PhotoVogue, 20
Cultura Inquieta: exhibition review, Time to Heal, 20
CondéNast Traveler, exhibition review, Time to Heal by Arantxa Neira, 20
Elle Spain: cover story and interview, Time to Heal by Claudia Saiz Puig, 20
El Plural: interview and exhibition review, Time to Heal by Marta Alberca, 20
Glamour Brazil: interview and exhibition review, Time to Heal by Stefanie Sousa, 20
El Mundo Digital: interview and exhibition review, Time to Heal by Paola de Francisco, 20
El Mundo newspaper: interview and exhibition review, Time to Heal by Paola de Francisco, 20
Diário La Rioja: interview and exhibition review, Time to Heal, 20