On Sunday, January 27, 2019,
International House Residents had the privilege of hearing from Venezuelan-American documentary photographer
Kike Arnal while enjoying a delicious dinner at the first
Sunday Supper of 2019. Arnal’s award-winning work has been exhibited in the United Nations and various other locations around the world, published in the
New York Times and
National Geographic, and has also been collected in three documentary books of photography. In conversation with Arnal was author and journalist
Michael Saur; the two have known each other for some 19 years, having first met while working in Bogotá, Colombia.
During the evening’s presentation, Arnal described several series of photographs he has taken of vastly different communities across the world, providing commentary on the images as they were projected on a screen behind him. He began with photographs he had taken in Venezuela, the country in which he grew up, photographing the daily life of indigenous communities he encountered when he accompanied doctors who were treating malaria and yellow fever outbreaks in a remote area of the northern Amazon. Another series of photographs, taken in Afghanistan in 2002 and aptly titled “Collateral Damage,” documents some of the consequences of American bombings and Soviet occupation on ordinary Afghanis. Similarly, a series of photographs taken in 2007 display the impact of cluster bombs on civilians. It was this series that formed the basis of Arnal’s 2011 solo exhibition at the United Nations in New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. As one might expect, many of these photographs were powerful and heart-rending, including photographs of people missing limbs and fingers and–especially tragically–a mother holding a framed photograph of her young son, who had been killed by a bomb left in a tree he had been climbing.
Many of Arnal’s photographs shown during the evening focused on minority, oppressed or otherwise ignored communities, demonstrating -as well as inspiring – great empathy for his subjects. Images from his book,
In the Shadow of Power (Edizioni Charta, 2010), depict people living in poverty in Washington, D.C. not far from such powerful institutions as the White House. Images from the series “Revealing Selves,” in turn, document the lives of transgender individuals living in Argentina. Another series, “Guerrilla Women,” brings attention to the everyday lives of women who joined guerrilla forces. He ended the presentation with images from the series “Chocó,” which depicts the lives of people working in mining and agriculture to make a living in one of the poorest communities in Colombia.
Arnal shared some insights from his overall experience as a photographer, explaining how he would spend significant periods of time speaking to people in a particular community and getting to know them before taking any photographs. He described his career as a combination of passion, art, and pragmatism, as he often makes decisions on what photography projects he can pursue based on funding availability and publication potential, as well as his own fascination with a particular community. In response to a Q&A period with audience members, he spoke of the increasing challenges faced by professional photographers due to the advent of social media and what he described as the “trivialization of the image.” He also talked about the intense level of field research required for the type of work he does, emphasizing that only those who “cannot live without” photography should choose it as a career path.
While I-House Sunday Suppers are known for bringing in distinguished guests like Kike Arnal, they also serve as a showcase for some of I-House’s very talented Residents. This Sunday Supper was no exception.
Jonathan Reveil (Haiti/USA) served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, and the traditional pre-dinner Blessing was delivered by
Fang Zhou (China). Attendees were also treated to two incredible musical performances. The first was a beautiful rendition of I-House Alum
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” by
Lebogang Mahlare (South Africa) accompanied by
Karan Viegas (India) on piano. The second was a rousing performance of Sergey Rachmaninoff’s Prelude Op.23 N.2 by
Ivan Gusev (Kazakhstan/Russia), which served as a wonderful close to a very enjoyable night.
The thought-provoking nature of Arnal’s photographs was apparent from speaking with I-House Residents who attended the Supper. Residents particularly appreciated the attention Arnal gave to marginalized communities.
Jonas Vernimmen, a law student at
Columbia University from
Belgium, commented: “It is inspiring to see which subjects Arnal chooses to give a stage. It is important that marginalized groups are brought to the center of our attention, even if it’s only for a brief moment of time. It’s an art to blend in and win trust so as not to disturb your subjects; you can see in his pictures that Arnal masters that skill.”
Adwoa Nantwi, an
American of Ghanian descent studying public health at
New York University, said “I really enjoyed listening to Kiké Arnal discuss his work. I think he really captures how photos can act as a form of significant storytelling.” She added, “One thing that stood out the most was his depiction of poverty in the Washington, DC area, which was very fascinating.”
Anjori Mitra is originally from California but has spent over 16 years living in Auckland, New Zealand. She is currently studying towards an LL.M. (Master of Laws) at Columbia University. She holds degrees in law, english and history from the University of Auckland and, prior moving to I-House, practiced as a litigation lawyer. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring New York’s incredible art museums, thrift shops and theatre scene. Follow Anjori on Instagram @anjorimitra and Twitter @anjori_m.
(Photos by Leandro Viana for International House)
