As a native Brooklynite, I tend to stay away from Dumbo due to the influx of tourists, over priced eats, and hard to maneuver streets. After visiting Photoville, however, I have a newfound appreciation for the area. One of the first things I noticed about Photoville was the profound amount of diversity in the portrayed works. For the first time, I saw many people, artists as well as subjects in the art, that looked like me.
One of the more informative and heavy works of art was organized by a group called Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality (NCF), entitled “Forced From Home.” Before entering the container, I knew after reading the title that it would be about the forced relocation and diaspora of the Palestinian people. As a Palestinian-American, I was excited to see this narrative on such a large platform. NCF featured the work of four different Palestinian women, each given the power to portray what is important to them about their village and life style. Much of what was featured included the women’s children, cuisine, and adaptations to the struggles around them.
Another exhibit that I strongly admired was titled, “Of Love and War,” by Lyndsey Addario. This exhibit features a war torn Afghanistan, before and after 9/11. It was interesting to see the stark contrast of before and after American imperialism devastated the land of Afghanistan.
It was amazing to have the artists there to bring life to their photos and to hear about their passions and motivations behind the work that they do. I highly recommended Photoville to my NYC based friends and will most definitely be visiting again next year!
