'Urban Perspectives. Vantage points on the every-day life in the city'

Selection of photographs that navigate the realities in Iberoamerican cities with a critical eye and a sharp opinion, as part of FotoWeekDC 2013.

Life in our cities moves at a fast and uninterrupted pace. We live in a world with continuous and constant stimulus. When I paused to consider the important aspects I needed to address to understand what critically defines the everyday life in an Ibero-American city, I was confronted with a true challenge.

I started to explore the existing similarities in Ibero-American cities. There is so much that brings us together: our rich flavors, vibrant colors, and warmth of our people. We share a capacity for resilience. With our endless creativity we are able to tackle adversity, capable of dealing with any situation with an undeniable sense of humor, even when faced with conditions that seem impossible to overcome.

At the same time, Ibero-American cities suffer from shared burdens: the disproportionate crowding of metropolitan areas, which creates insufficient means of transportation and services. The lack of urban planning causes us to grow in a non-geometric way. We share these broken promises in the name of development and modernization. We are becoming a numb society. We are becoming a mass of silent individuals surrendering to the fierce violent reality. It seems like our fear is larger than our will to be free.

The selection of photographs in this exhibition is an attempt to voice a denunciation of those circumstances. These artists navigate reality with a critical eye and a sharp opinion. Their apparent desolate worlds are inhabited by reflections of our most precarious perspective.

Perhaps it is important to consider: where do we each stand while life is happening in front of our eyes? Have we become deaf to the loud racket that surrounds us? Can we no longer see? Have we become paralyzed?

When names and faces are not given, they become our very own. I am hoping to highlight the responsibilities we all share as citizens in trying to claim back our cities from a kidnapped state.

—Aline Shkurovich, 2013

Public opening on November 1, from 6:30 pm to 9 pm. Free admission, RSVP required. In conjunction with VAIVEN. Six visual journeys back and forth between Spain and the U.S.