CHLOE KOWALYK
Staff Writer
The lives of many have slipped through the cracks of the American dream, living only in the shadow of our “great” nation. Their stories are being swallowed up by hardship and inequity.
However, through photojournalism and the work of talented photographers, Americans can gain direct insight into the worlds of those around them.
The Marion Art Gallery on SUNY Fredonia’s campus is hosting the “Dos Mundos” photography exhibit until Feb. 28.
“Dos Mundos,” translated from Spanish, means “two worlds.” As the name implies, the photography in the exhibit shows the separation between the world of minority and nonminority groups.
Images of immigrants, low-income communities and racial and/or gender minorities are displayed on the gallery walls, which feature the work of 12 different artists.
The cover image for the event shows two immigrant women, a mother and a daughter, taking residence in a church to avoid being forcibly removed from the country and their families.
The artist, Cinthya Santos-Briones, said that she investigates “how congressional responses to the migration crisis have redefined concepts such as sanctuary, social justice and refuge.”
Many families who have fled hardship from their native countries still face hardship here in America. With the combination of constant fear of being deported, the possibility of being separated from their families and having to be bound to the church by an ankle monitor, immigrants’ lives are constantly at risk.
This is the central focus of Santos-Briones’ project “Living in Sanctuary.”
Another artist, Daesha Harris, takes a look into the past. Harris found herself inspired by folklore and slave narratives that involve the crossing of water.
In her photographs, she uses water as a symbol to represent the ongoing struggle for freedom. “My work combines elements from shared cultural narratives with personal moments from my childhood and familiar traditions connected to the landscape,” she said.
Harris’ photography is taken underwater, showing the legs of a Black person as they navigate through the water.
In an audio recording, Harris said that many slaves were shot in their attempts to flee to freedom.
This brought the exhibition coordinator, Hyla Stellhorn, to tears.
“When she said that about the people and where their bodies were I started crying,” Stellhorn said.
The “Dos Mundos” exhibit emphasizes emotion. With each photograph, the viewer is transported to a different part of the world from a different perspective of unique people, whether in Cuba or New York City.
Each of the 12 artists’ work tells a story that isn’t typically represented in media or art.
Besides Santos-Briones and Harris, the other artists featured include Damarys Alvarez, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Tau Battice, Yu-Chen Chiu, Anthony Hamboussi, Erika Morillo, Danny Ramon Peralta, Antonio Pulgarin, Roger Richardson and Aaron Turner.
The exhibit is presented by En Foco, a non-profit organization that supports the photography of African, Asian, Latino, Native American and Pacific Islander artists.
“Dos Mundos” is a travelling exhibit that will visit other SUNY venues. With the intense emotion and overall importance of the art, one would truly be missing out if they did not go see the exhibit.
The exhibit also features QR codes for each artist next to their pieces that the viewer can scan to hear a quick audio recording of the artist describing their projects.
The Marion Art Gallery is open Tuesday-Thursday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is closed on Mondays.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
To schedule a tour of “Dos Mundos,” contact Barbara Räcker, the director of Marion Art Gallery, at (716) 673-4897 or at barbara.racker@fredonia.edu
A limited amount of free exhibition catalogues will be available as well as a Zoom meeting with Morillo on Feb. 18.