Photojournalism's Pandemic Challenge: Global Photographers Document COVID-19's Human Toll
The Brazilian magazine arte!brasileiros has assembled a collection of photojournalistic pieces focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing works from various countries: Peru (Rodrigo Abd), Iran (Newsha Tavakolian, Arash Khamooshi), France (Jean Gaumy), and Brazil (Victor Moriyama, Hélio Campos Mello, Cristina de Middel). Photographers reflect on the difficulties of maintaining emotional closeness while adhering to safety measures. Abd emphasizes the importance of discussing photography's historical significance, particularly in funeral contexts. Khamooshi draws parallels between the future significance of pandemic images and those from the 1918 flu outbreak. De Middel encountered language challenges in Itacaré, while Moriyama equates pandemic photography with war reporting and endorses initiatives like Covid Latam, established by Sebastian Gil Miranda. The article also features insights from Simonetta Persichetti and alludes to Jacques Derrida's idea of the virus as 'the stranger.'
Key facts
- arte!brasileiros curated a selection of pandemic photojournalism from Peru, Iran, France, and Brazil.
- Featured photographers include Rodrigo Abd, Newsha Tavakolian, Arash Khamooshi, Jean Gaumy, Victor Moriyama, Hélio Campos Mello, and Cristina de Middel.
- Photographers faced challenges of physical distance, safety risks, and emotional connection during the pandemic.
- Rodrigo Abd documented funerals in the Nueva Esperanza and El Angel cemeteries in Lima, Peru.
- Victor Moriyama is part of Covid Latam, an initiative by Sebastian Gil Miranda uniting 18 photographers across 13 Latin American countries.
- Cristina de Middel encountered language barriers and local distrust while working in Itacaré, Brazil.
- Arash Khamooshi believes pandemic photographs will have significant historical value, comparable to images from the 1918 flu.
- The photographers avoid using shock as a narrative tool, aiming to evoke complex, undefined emotions.
Entities
Artists
- Rodrigo Abd
- Newsha Tavakolian
- Arash Khamooshi
- Jean Gaumy
- Victor Moriyama
- Hélio Campos Mello
- Cristina de Middel
- Simonetta Persichetti
- Jacques Derrida
- Claude Lanzmann
- Bruno Morais
- Sebastian Gil Miranda
- Susie Linfield
- Carlos Castillo
- Adrian Tarazona Manrique
- Juan Luis Cabrera
- Flavio Juarez
- Noly Suarez
- Behrooz
- Jila
- Ednaldo Cardoso
- Valdemir da Silva
- Tallytta Ferreira
Institutions
- arte!brasileiros
- Covid Latam
- Médicos Sans Frontières (MSF)
- Prefeitura de São Paulo
Locations
- Peru
- Lima
- Nueva Esperanza cemetery
- El Angel cemetery
- Iran
- Tehran
- Behest-e Zahra cemetery
- France
- Brazil
- Itacaré
- São Paulo
- Parque da Água Branca
- Estação da Luz
- Paraisópolis
- Portugal
- Meca
- Mount Hira
- Gran Chaco
- Argentina
- Paraguay