“El Sistema” is particularly interested in how the turbulent political life of Guatemala collides with the didactic project and impacts the country’s youth. However, it is also a testament to the spiritual force of music and how its practice helps elevate humanity above its sometimes desperate condition, bringing hope and light to a broken-down society.
This work received its premiere in the 2014 edition of BAVIC the Bienal de Artes Visuales del Istmo Centroamericano (Guatemala) and will be on view until August 24. The installation features four photographic prints and one multimedia piece, which you can see below.
On March 19th, 2014 I returned from a three-week photographic journey to Guatemala. I traveled to document the work of Sistema de Orquestas de Guatemala (SOG), a non-profit whose mandate is to create a network of new symphonic orchestras which offer free classical music education for the country's youth.