WASHINGTON D.C.—Moving Walls 9, a documentary photography exhibit featuring the work of six artists, will open to the public on April 7 at OSI’s Washington office. The exhibit first opened at OSI-New York on June 10, 2004, less than two months after the release of the horrific images from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Moving Walls 9 encompasses a range of significant topics, from wars in far off lands, to the everyday struggle of those living among us. Don Bartletti’s “Bound to El Norte: Immigrant Stowaways on the Freight Trains of Mexico” depicts the massive migration of undocumented immigrants from Latin America to the United States each year by focusing on the personal journey of one young boy. Stephen Ferry’s “The Wrong War” uses images to show the chaos and surrealism of Colombian life caused by the violence that has wrenched the country for decades. Sean Hemmerle’s “The American War on Terror: Iraq ” focuses solely on the destruction resulting from the war, people are eerily absent from these photographs. Steve McCurry’s “ Afghanistan : Between War and Peace” depicts the struggle for the fragile country to create a new identity for itself while remaining in the shadows of the Taliban’s violent past. Rickie Solinger’s “Beggars and Choosers: Motherhood Is Not a Class Privilege” calls for defense of reproductive rights for mothers of all economic and social statuses. And finally, Larry Towell’s “Walling Off Peace” shows the lives of those living behind Israel ’s security barrier.
Moving Walls, a travelling photographic exhibition series sponsored by the Open Society Institute, is an artistic interpretation of the struggles of people committed to tearing down the barriers of political oppression, economic instability and racism. The documentary photographs reflect the transitional conditions of open societies and the promotion and maintenance of democratic values. Moving Walls was established by the Open Society Institute in 1997. The work included is selected, by committee, from a number of submitted portfolios.
The Moving Walls 9 exhibit is open to the public during regular business hours from April 7 through October 28, 2005, at OSI Washington, 1120 19th Street NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC.
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The Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking foundation based in New York, aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal and social reform. OSI's Washington D.C. office focuses on addressing violations of civil liberties in the United States and expanding OSI’s policy and advocacy work in the areas of criminal and civil justice reform, international development assistance, and global economic policy.