honorable mention
Heinrich Wegmann italy
title
Chakora
A project to enlighten and to give the possibility to compare ones life with others lives, to start an internal walk. A project to sensitize, to give voice, a shout to the ones who prefer to work in the dumping sites instead of resorting to stealing or something else in this direction. A project that shows that also in misery one can live in dignity, something rare in our society. A project that reminds us, that we don`t need much to lives on. A roof over heats and a hot meal is enough. That makes us understand that garbage is a crucial indicator for understanding the human being, the population, the cultures of the different civilizations. Let as imagine being forced to keep what we have, not being allowed to throw anything away.
In 1985, he travelled for the first time to China. This marked the beginning of his fascination of other cultures and the curiosity of their everyday lives. He then visited Tibet, Nepal, India and Russia living amongst the communities for months at a time in his quest to understand the different cultures.
As his love for photography grew, so did his interest in participating in exhibitions and photography competitions. But in this he had to do in his free time as he still had a full time job managing an Architectural firm.
In 1999, he made his first trip to Brazil to document through photography the “Quilombo”, the descendants of the runaway slaves from their Portuguese masters. He went back the following year for the project “Catadores do Mundo”, a documentary on the people living on the garbage dumpsites of Joao Pessoa. In 2012, he took the project concept “Catadores do Mundo” to Kenya where he documented through photographs, the people living in and making a living in the Dandora garbage dumpsite and in Korogocho, the 2nd largest slum in Kenya.
He presently lives and works fulltime as a photographer in Bolzano, Italy. He is married to a Brazilian lady and has 2 daughters. One can find samples of his work at www.smeidart.com
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entry description
“Chokora” is a part of the project “Catadores do Mundo”, which began in the “lixào do Roger” dumpsite in Joan Pessoa in Brasil and continues in different continents.A project to enlighten and to give the possibility to compare ones life with others lives, to start an internal walk. A project to sensitize, to give voice, a shout to the ones who prefer to work in the dumping sites instead of resorting to stealing or something else in this direction. A project that shows that also in misery one can live in dignity, something rare in our society. A project that reminds us, that we don`t need much to lives on. A roof over heats and a hot meal is enough. That makes us understand that garbage is a crucial indicator for understanding the human being, the population, the cultures of the different civilizations. Let as imagine being forced to keep what we have, not being allowed to throw anything away.
about the photographer
Heinrich Wegmann was born in 1960 in South Tyrol, Italy. His interest in photography began at an early age of about 12 years old where he picked it up as a hobby and has developed into a deep passion today. His knowledge and expertise in photography is completely self-taught. After completing his secondary school, he studied Architecture at the university in Innsbruck, Austria until 1988, when he moved to Venice, Italy, where he finished his university studies in 1995.In 1985, he travelled for the first time to China. This marked the beginning of his fascination of other cultures and the curiosity of their everyday lives. He then visited Tibet, Nepal, India and Russia living amongst the communities for months at a time in his quest to understand the different cultures.
As his love for photography grew, so did his interest in participating in exhibitions and photography competitions. But in this he had to do in his free time as he still had a full time job managing an Architectural firm.
In 1999, he made his first trip to Brazil to document through photography the “Quilombo”, the descendants of the runaway slaves from their Portuguese masters. He went back the following year for the project “Catadores do Mundo”, a documentary on the people living on the garbage dumpsites of Joao Pessoa. In 2012, he took the project concept “Catadores do Mundo” to Kenya where he documented through photographs, the people living in and making a living in the Dandora garbage dumpsite and in Korogocho, the 2nd largest slum in Kenya.
He presently lives and works fulltime as a photographer in Bolzano, Italy. He is married to a Brazilian lady and has 2 daughters. One can find samples of his work at www.smeidart.com
back to gallery