Pleasantly spaced throughout one and half of its floors, the International Center of Photography lets us take a walk on the world’s streets in their current exhibit, We Are Here.
This showcase of street photography had been gestating for three years.It’s not just streets, but many public spaces beyond humble paths for wooden carts or the asphalt runways for SUVs.
We join Palestinian women in full hijab floating and frolicking during their first foray to the sea. In grainy black and white we join protest after protest, sadly noting that we almost forgot the name Freddie Gray because of so many same-sad-story sequels.
On an oversized wall we meet churchgoers dressed in flowing brilliant white garb from head to toe. They are spanking clean.It is the typical wardrobe for their church and the image is titled — What comes to mind when you see the garment?Novelist Nancy Garfinkel says, “..they are dressed like seraphim. Angelic cosplay.” More prosaic utilitarian minds like that of this writer just hope that the bright white is all about the sun’s heat — reflecting rays and keeping them cooler.
Shoichi Aoki, from the series FRUiTS, 1998. Courtesy Shoichi Aoki
International Center of Photography Exhibit is Right-Sized
For this culture writer, it is the parade of colorful images in the section described as self-fashioning that most tickles. We meet orange and red- haired young women who could easily merge with the life size blow up sex dolls you can find in Tokyo’s anime-filled shops.Their kindred spirit sisters in Senegal similarly grab every possible corner of the color palette to make their personality statements.These are the most individual of individual fashion statements, but together they seem to shout— RAISE YOUR FASHION SENSE IQ!
At the show’s press opening, we learn from the curator, Isolde Brielmaier, PhD**, that some of the gems they found to include in this exhibit came to them via Instagram.She also spoke to lofty curating goals that struck some like buzzword-rich patter more gratuitous than useful. Don’t be deterred.We Are Here is right-sized— it stimulates and makes multiple points without giving you museum fatigue.
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**Noa Wynn, Independent Curatorial Assistant
Amy Munice
About the Author: Amy Munice
Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.
