What does it mean to be alive? A group show at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City poses this question as it regards the plight of indigenous peoples worldwide. The exhibit, on view from Nov. 17-Feb 24, features images from 24 photographers, plus a short documentary.
Accompanying the show is a series of free presentations featuring exhibit photographers and guest artists sharing their experiences documenting indigenous cultures. The schedule is as follows:
Nov. 29 – Randy Olson
“The Stories in our Genes”
Photojournalist Randy Olson’s work has been published in Life, GEO, Smithsonian and others, but he has photographed primarily for the National Geographic Society on more than 30 assignments that have taken him to 50 countries over the past 20 years. He often collaborates with his wife, photographer Melissa Farlow.
Dec. 6 – Dana Gluckstein
“Portraiture for Social Change”
During her 25-year career, Dana Gluckstein has photographed iconic figures from Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev to Muhammad Ali and Tony Curtis, and produced award-winning advertising campaigns for clients such as Apple and Toyota. Her vision of humanity is revealed in her photographs of indigenous peoples, many of which are in museum and private collections.
Dec. 13 – James Whitlow Delano
“Malaysia: How ‘Green’ Bio-Fuels Are Destroying the Little Peoples of the Rainforest”
James Whitlow Delano has lived in Asia for two decades. His award-winning work has appeared in magazines and photo festivals on five continents. Delano’s presentation will focus on how bio-fuel is not always “green,” and how two indigenous Malaysian peoples have lost much of their rainforest homelands due to local logging and palm oil plantations.
Dec. 20 – Chris Rainier
“Cultures on the Edge”
Photographer Chris Rainier is a master at creating powerful images that document the anthropological story of indigenous cultures whose ways are under threat. A former photographic assistant to Ansel Adams, Rainier has had his stunning images featured in publications including Life, The New York Times, and National Geographic Adventure and Traveler.
Jan. 3 – Bonnie Folkins
“Riding with the Eagle Hunters”
Canadian-born Bonnie Folkins is an accomplished artist with over 50 solo exhibitions worldwide, as well as hundreds of paintings in permanent collections all over North America. Folkins is committed to telling the stories of the people of Mongolia by preserving their endangered and disappearing culture through photography.
Jan. 10 – Phyllis Galembo
“Masquerade from Africa to the Americas”
For over two decades, Phyllis Galembo has documented cultural and religious traditions in Africa and the African Diaspora. Her work is included in numerous public and private collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Jan. 17 – Jeroen Toirkens
“NomadsLife”
Dutch photographer Jeroen Toirkens has been working as a freelance photographer since 1995. During this lecture, Toirkens will talk about his project “Nomadslife,” for which he has documented the lives of the last nomadic people of the Northern Hemisphere. He will share stories of extraordinary encounters with nomadic families and the hardships endured to reach the most remote places on Earth.
Jan. 24 – David Hiser
“Nomads of the Dawn: The Penan of the Borneo Rain Forest”
David Hiser is an editorial photographer and photo educator, whose work has been published in over 100 National Geographic books and magazines and many international publications. He will share his work with the Penan hunter-gatherers in the deep forests of Borneo.
Jan. 31 – Aaron Huey
“Seven Years on Pine Ridge: The Evolution of a Story from Photojournalism to Street Art and Beyond”
Aaron Huey is a photojournalist who works primarily for National Geographic Society magazines, for which he has shot over 20 features including the August 2012 cover story on the Oglala Lakota of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This lecture will look at the evolution of the Pine Ridge story from journalism to activism.
Feb. 7 – Caroline Bennett
“Words. Pictures. Action!”
Caroline Bennett uses photography to shed light on social justice, cultural and environmental threats, and the human condition. Bennett has won several awards for her work on projects for local and international NGOs, the United Nations, The New York Times, Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, among others.
Friday, Feb. 8 – Slideshow Night
This event will showcase hundreds of additional images related to the themes of no strangers.
Feb. 14 – Wade Davis
“The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World”
An Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, Wade Davis is an esteemed anthropologist, author, photographer and filmmaker. He spent over three years in the Amazon and Andes as a plant explorer, living among 15 indigenous groups. He is the author of 17 books, including the international best seller The Serpent and the Rainbow and is guest curator for the no strangers exhibition.
Feb. 21 – Alison Wright
“Face to Face, Portraits of the Human Spirit”
Alison Wright, a New York-based documentary photographer, travels to the most remote regions of the globe photographing endangered cultures and documenting issues concerning the human condition. Wright will present images from her new book that capture the indomitable spirit that lives within us all.
Parking $3.50, $1 after 4:30 pm and all day Sa–Su. Admission free. 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, 310.209.4560. annenbergspaceforphotography.org