We've been anxiously awaiting the Annenberg Space for Photography's upcoming exhibition, REFUGEE, which opens on Saturday, April 23, and will feature photographic work illuminating the global refugee crisis. It's a timely choice considering the number of displaced people across the planet has reached more than 60 million, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Five internationally acclaimed artists—Lynsey Addario, Omar Victor Diop, Graciela Iturbide, Martin Schoeller and Tom Stoddart—will show photographs taken in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Myanmar Serbia, Slovenia and the United States.
According to Annenberg Foundation CEO Wallis Annenberg, the exhibit is a way to explore and promote meaningful dialogue about this complex political issue, "even where there is contention and controversy." The point here is not merely to see or hear about the crisis, but to understand its ramifications. "These extraordinary and visionary artists don't advocate, they illuminate; they don't argue a position, they enlighten," says Annenberg. "I believe it's essential viewing, so we don't just see what's happening in our world, we feel it."
The Annenberg Foundation and Annenberg Space for Photography also partnered with the nonprofit VisionWorkshops to provide a photography camp in Soacha, Colombia, for displaced children, giving them the opportunity to document their experiences through both photography and writing. Work from this camp can be seen at REFUGEE, in addition to a virtual reality experience that will transport guests to Soacha to experience what life is like there for displaced people.
REFUGEE is free and open to the public, and will run from Saturday, April 23, through Sunday, August 21, 2016 at the Annenberg Space for Photography, open Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm.