Photo © Antonio Aragon Renuncio
Story - NOMINEE: Antonio Aragon Renuncio
Sorcière. The Witches. The Soul Eaters
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Les Sorcières... the witches... the soul eaters…
…at Burkina Faso. In the middle of the deep savannah. Far from everything. Close to nowhere…
Even today in the Mossi tribal culture many women are accused of being “witches” by their neighbors, simply because they assume that they are responsible for any misfortune that happens in the village. Because of sheer nonsense. Blamed for ignorance, for having disabilities, for superstition, or simply revenge...
They hunt them into their houses, bloodlust, wishing their death, in the middle of the savannah. Many of them got killed by the hand of their family, others commit suicide before being protagonists of an evil orgy of suffering and blood. The luckiest manage to escape from the social "justice" and its bleak future. A sneak... stealth... hopeless, destroyed and lonely course.
And they come this far, to the shelter of the "witches". Overcrowded. Sleeping and eating -thanks to the charity of some kind heart- on the floor. With their few belongings piled at their feet.
Ill, old, forgotten, illiterate, exiled, course... alone.
Another hell for women. Women always, always cursed...
…always alone.
About author:
Since the mid-90s he has always been involved with the photographic medium: Founds and chairs “Nostromo” Photographers Association (Spain). Professor (over fifteen years) of photography: University of Cantabria (Spain), American University UAM (Nicaragua), Central American University UCA (Nicaragua), Caribbean University URACCAN (Nicaragua), Cantabrian Government and Santander City Hall (Spain)… He organizes and directs the I Photography Festival of Santander. Organizes and leads the project “Los Castros 65” Photo Showroom. He writes about photography in different publications. He was Publisher and CEO in “Xplorer” Magazine (Nicaragua). He has been Free-lance photographer for several International News Agencies. General Manager Xtreme Photo WS (Burkina Faso, Africa). Organizes and Directs the Solidarity Photography Days “Fotografía un Mundo Mejor” (Murcia, Spain)……
In 2003 he founds, and since then he presides, the NGO OASIS (www.ongoasis.org) which develops every year medical projects in some of the most depressed areas of the Gulf of Guinea in Africa, having extensive experience working in Africa.
He has exhibited (more than 130 exhibitions) his work in Galleries and Museums: Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art (Madrid, Spain), Museum of Fine Arts (Santander, Spain), BBK Foundation (Bilbao, Spain), Canal de Isabel II Space Gallery (Madrid, Spain), Espai de la Fotografía (Valencia, Spain), Obra Social y Cultural de Caja Duero (Cáceres, Spain), Central Library (England), ARCO International Contemporary Art Fair (Spain), Ruben Dario´s National Theatre (Nicaragua), MAPFRE Foundation, ONCE Foundation, Museum of Antioquia (Colombia), Fontainebleau Palace (China), University of Hidalgo (México), Osnabrück’s Cultural History Museum (Germany), Puertas de Castilla (Murcia), Burj Khalifa Park (Dubai), Sakharov Center (Moscow), Rivne Regional Museum (Ukraine), Salt Galata & Galata Fotoğrafhanesi (Istanbul, Turkey), Odessa Photo Days (Ukraine), Batumi Photo Days (Georgia), State Art Gallery (Madhapur, India), Palazzo Pubblico (Siena, Italy), Ostroh Academy (Ukraine), Hysan Place (Hong Kong), Austrian Cultural Forum Rome (Rome, Italy), PhotoVisa (Krasnodar, Russia), UNESCO Headquarters (Paris, France), Muhammad Ali Center (Louisville, USA), Xposure International Photography Festival (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates), House of the Federal Press Conference (Berlin, Germany), Cultural Palace (Rivne, Ukraine), National Museum Kiev Fortress (Kiev, Ukraine), London Business School (London, Great Britain), DongGang International Photo Festival (Korea), Muzeum Fotografii Janowie Lubelskim (Poland), Рівненська обласна Library (Rivne, Ukraine)…
Antonio has received more than 150 international awards and recognitions from (to mention a few): 3 Pictures of the Year Latam, DongGang International Photo Festival, LBS Photography Awards, Umbra Photo Awards, Latin IPA, Environmental Photographer of the Year, PX3 Prix de la Photo de Paris, La Grande Photo, Fine Art Photography Awards, International Photographer of the Year, Siena International Photo Awards, Direct Look, International Digital Biennial Photojournalism, PhotoVisa, LifePressPhoto, Indian Photo Festival, Nikon, Chromatic Photo Awards, REVELA, GEA Photowords…
He has been recognized by the UNESCO with its HPA Grand Prix for his work on the Somba tribe. He has won (twice) the Latin American Documentary Photography Award. In 2016 he also won the HIPA Grand Prize. He has received many medals and recognitions from: Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique (FIAP), Photographic Society of America (PSA), Global Photographic Union (GPU), Confederación Española de Fotografía (CEF), Federació Catalana de Fotografia (FCF), GFAL, FCLV, PHA ....
In 2018, among other prizes, Aragon Renuncio won the Xposure International Competition in the Photojournalism Category and the UNICEF Photography of the Year for a picture from a long term project about Snake Kids in Togo. Antonio’s work has appeared in more than 100 print shows around the world and his images are in a number of public and private collections.
He currently spends most of his time working on long-term investigative projects mainly in Africa and Central America. He remains committed to issues relating to conservation, global health, poverty, diminishing cultures, discrimination, sustainability and the environment.
Now he is based in Nicaragua and free for worldwide assignments.
…at Burkina Faso. In the middle of the deep savannah. Far from everything. Close to nowhere…
Even today in the Mossi tribal culture many women are accused of being “witches” by their neighbors, simply because they assume that they are responsible for any misfortune that happens in the village. Because of sheer nonsense. Blamed for ignorance, for having disabilities, for superstition, or simply revenge...
They hunt them into their houses, bloodlust, wishing their death, in the middle of the savannah. Many of them got killed by the hand of their family, others commit suicide before being protagonists of an evil orgy of suffering and blood. The luckiest manage to escape from the social "justice" and its bleak future. A sneak... stealth... hopeless, destroyed and lonely course.
And they come this far, to the shelter of the "witches". Overcrowded. Sleeping and eating -thanks to the charity of some kind heart- on the floor. With their few belongings piled at their feet.
Ill, old, forgotten, illiterate, exiled, course... alone.
Another hell for women. Women always, always cursed...
…always alone.
About author:
Since the mid-90s he has always been involved with the photographic medium: Founds and chairs “Nostromo” Photographers Association (Spain). Professor (over fifteen years) of photography: University of Cantabria (Spain), American University UAM (Nicaragua), Central American University UCA (Nicaragua), Caribbean University URACCAN (Nicaragua), Cantabrian Government and Santander City Hall (Spain)… He organizes and directs the I Photography Festival of Santander. Organizes and leads the project “Los Castros 65” Photo Showroom. He writes about photography in different publications. He was Publisher and CEO in “Xplorer” Magazine (Nicaragua). He has been Free-lance photographer for several International News Agencies. General Manager Xtreme Photo WS (Burkina Faso, Africa). Organizes and Directs the Solidarity Photography Days “Fotografía un Mundo Mejor” (Murcia, Spain)……
In 2003 he founds, and since then he presides, the NGO OASIS (www.ongoasis.org) which develops every year medical projects in some of the most depressed areas of the Gulf of Guinea in Africa, having extensive experience working in Africa.
He has exhibited (more than 130 exhibitions) his work in Galleries and Museums: Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art (Madrid, Spain), Museum of Fine Arts (Santander, Spain), BBK Foundation (Bilbao, Spain), Canal de Isabel II Space Gallery (Madrid, Spain), Espai de la Fotografía (Valencia, Spain), Obra Social y Cultural de Caja Duero (Cáceres, Spain), Central Library (England), ARCO International Contemporary Art Fair (Spain), Ruben Dario´s National Theatre (Nicaragua), MAPFRE Foundation, ONCE Foundation, Museum of Antioquia (Colombia), Fontainebleau Palace (China), University of Hidalgo (México), Osnabrück’s Cultural History Museum (Germany), Puertas de Castilla (Murcia), Burj Khalifa Park (Dubai), Sakharov Center (Moscow), Rivne Regional Museum (Ukraine), Salt Galata & Galata Fotoğrafhanesi (Istanbul, Turkey), Odessa Photo Days (Ukraine), Batumi Photo Days (Georgia), State Art Gallery (Madhapur, India), Palazzo Pubblico (Siena, Italy), Ostroh Academy (Ukraine), Hysan Place (Hong Kong), Austrian Cultural Forum Rome (Rome, Italy), PhotoVisa (Krasnodar, Russia), UNESCO Headquarters (Paris, France), Muhammad Ali Center (Louisville, USA), Xposure International Photography Festival (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates), House of the Federal Press Conference (Berlin, Germany), Cultural Palace (Rivne, Ukraine), National Museum Kiev Fortress (Kiev, Ukraine), London Business School (London, Great Britain), DongGang International Photo Festival (Korea), Muzeum Fotografii Janowie Lubelskim (Poland), Рівненська обласна Library (Rivne, Ukraine)…
Antonio has received more than 150 international awards and recognitions from (to mention a few): 3 Pictures of the Year Latam, DongGang International Photo Festival, LBS Photography Awards, Umbra Photo Awards, Latin IPA, Environmental Photographer of the Year, PX3 Prix de la Photo de Paris, La Grande Photo, Fine Art Photography Awards, International Photographer of the Year, Siena International Photo Awards, Direct Look, International Digital Biennial Photojournalism, PhotoVisa, LifePressPhoto, Indian Photo Festival, Nikon, Chromatic Photo Awards, REVELA, GEA Photowords…
He has been recognized by the UNESCO with its HPA Grand Prix for his work on the Somba tribe. He has won (twice) the Latin American Documentary Photography Award. In 2016 he also won the HIPA Grand Prize. He has received many medals and recognitions from: Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique (FIAP), Photographic Society of America (PSA), Global Photographic Union (GPU), Confederación Española de Fotografía (CEF), Federació Catalana de Fotografia (FCF), GFAL, FCLV, PHA ....
In 2018, among other prizes, Aragon Renuncio won the Xposure International Competition in the Photojournalism Category and the UNICEF Photography of the Year for a picture from a long term project about Snake Kids in Togo. Antonio’s work has appeared in more than 100 print shows around the world and his images are in a number of public and private collections.
He currently spends most of his time working on long-term investigative projects mainly in Africa and Central America. He remains committed to issues relating to conservation, global health, poverty, diminishing cultures, discrimination, sustainability and the environment.
Now he is based in Nicaragua and free for worldwide assignments.