Selected Photographers #2

Photo Forum Beirut is thrilled to announce names of selected photographers for the second session, which theme is: The CITY

The second session's selectors Cia de Foto are pleased they had the opportunity to see the submitted works and discover new photographers. The selection for this session was limited to three. We wish the others every success with future submissions to the Photo Forum Beirut and invite them to join us on Tuesday.

The session's talk changed at the last minute and we had the honour to introduce French photographer Samuel Le Coeur who explained about the Association Point Rouge and its role in the hanging of art works during cultural and artistic exhibitions and events. Le Coeur had started his work in hanging images at exhibitions with the Maison Europeenne de la Photographie in Paris.

We are pleased to introduce the three selected photographers who will present their work on Tuesday 16th March at 7pm at Zico House.

** Fernando Borges

© Fernando Borges

Fernando will show a series of pictures he did on Night Workers

Fernando’s work is an ongoing project shot at night around Beirut. A group of young photography enthusiasts go around the city every Tuesday night, from 9 till 12PM. The group started for fun on Facebook and ended expanding to become a collective of around 20 active members working on a project about night workers. Together they formed the “Night Collective”

Fernando Borges is a Brazilian photographer currently based in Lebanon

More about Fernando's work on: Flying Kebab and the Night Collective

** Elias Moubarak

© Elias Moubarak

Elias will show a series of Black and White images

After trying different styles in photography, I have found that the pictures that matter to me the most are the ones with something happening in them, a story behind them, interesting characters, something true and with emotions to share. I consider photography a very instinctive form of art. It is only later sometimes that I understand the choices I make when I choose my subjects and frame my pictures. I truly believe that pictures should speak for themselves and suggest different interpretations and reactions.

Elias Moubarak was born in 1985; since he was a little child he has been fascinated by moving images and pictures.

He studied Communication Arts at the Lebanese American University at Byblos. Since his graduation, he has a documentary project that he is working on. He took photography seriously a year ago when he bought his first DSLR camera. Elias likes to experiment even though he finds himself mostly among people and the stories they could share. Elias had an exhibition called Rust Never Sleeps at the Centre Culturel of Jbeil. He's interested in pursuing his studies and master in photography or photojournalism.

More about Elias' work on: Le Coeur a Droite

** Matias Nordahl Carlsen

© Nordahl Carlsen

Matias will show a selection of photographs from his series "Occupied"

Morocco annexed most of Western Sahara in 1975, when the Spanish occupiers retreated during Franco`s last years. Today Western Sahara is the biggest country, both in size and population on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. Their government, The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, are located in the refugee camps on the Algerian side of a more than 2500 km long Moroccan built wall. And the Saharawi population, still living in the occupied territories, are now outnumbered by the Moroccan settlers and suffer from discrimination and lack of freedom of speech. Human rights activists has been jailed and tortured with no trails. Youngsters are frequently beaten up and arrested after demonstrations. Journalists and photographers have been refused entry or kicked out after arrival.

Hiding my camera under my jacket I went to find out how the Saharawis are coping with the situation and how they live their lives. I spent a month in the occupied territories and often stayed in the houses of people who where to become my Friends.

The pictures I want to present is the result of my research trip to Western Sahara. I also want to present quotations from the people i meet in the captions.

I want to continue the project with photographing the refugee camps in Algeria and the the Polisarios armed forces in Mauritania.

Photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Matias Nordahl Carlsen, born in 1981, has been working on documenting social issues around the world for the past 5 years. For his films he has won the Norwegian Documentary Film Festival three times. He started out as a photographer in 2007, when he was working in a Nepali Television program in Kathmandu. Since then he has been documenting Burmese refugee camps in Bangladesh, untouchable women's struggle in Nepal, the deforestation in Peru, the Norwegian army's factories in China, amongst other things.