Strength, resistance, endurance, and adaptability are vital necessities for survival in a brutal world, one that continues to perpetrate the horrors of colonialism upon indigenous communities who have been rooted in the land for thousands of years. When looking at contemporary Latin America, we bear witness to an extraordinary blend of cultures in 33 nations on two continents fighting for survival in the wake of cataclysmic waves of warfare, ethnic cleansing, and environmental destruction.
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With the Bronx Documentary Center’s (BDC) Fourth Annual Latin American Foto Festival(LAFF), which opened July 15, we see the stories of the people told by those who have lived it. Featuring a series of exhibitions, virtual and in-person workshops, tours, and panel discussions online and within the Bronx, the LAFF presents a series of powerful and poignant stories offering new paradigms that speak truth to power.
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Curated by BDC Directors Michael Kamber and Cynthia Rivera, the LAFF features work by artists Andrea Hernández Briceño, Carlos Saavedra, Cristóbal Olivares, Florence Goupi, Luis Antonio Rojas, Pablo E. Piovano, Rodrigo Abd, Victor Peña, and Victoria Razo. On view until Sunday in installations at the BDC galleries, as well as on sidewalks, school exteriors, and in community gardens, the LAFF brings the story of Latin America to the Bronx, home to more than half a million Latinos.
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