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Fiehl's 'Resilient Souls' To Benefit Bowery Mission
4 June 2019
French photographer Steve Fiehl will exhibit his series Resilient Souls at a private reception at the International Center for Photography on Monday, June 10.
Resilient Souls. Three portraits by Fiehl from the collection.
Fiehl spent several months in the shelters and the programs of The Bowery Mission, one of the oldest nonprofit organizations addressing the needs of New Yorkers in crisis. He will present a large exhibition of 30 black and white photos that mix a documentary approach and personal portraits of men and women in the programs, struggling to get back on their feet.
"We all see people experiencing homelessness and hunger everywhere in the streets of New York and their number has never been so high since the Great Depression," Fiehl said. "But we rarely know who they are, what their story is and how exactly they survive in such a harsh environment.
"These New Yorkers are not 'just' without a home; they are disconnected from their family and any kind of social relationship; they have no more trust in others or themselves; they have lost their sense of identity. But they are still here, struggling. Those survivors of our contemporary world can teach us much more than we think about life, resilience and the importance of spirituality. They are wiser than many of us. I dedicate this work to those who have the courage to stand up and fight for their dignity as human beings."
Fiehl's exhibition was first shown during the 20th Valentine Gala of The Bowery Mission and will be presented throughout in different public places. It has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Richemont North America.
French Photographer Steve Fiehl To Present Resilient Souls, A Photo Exhibition Documenting The Daily Life of New Yorkers in Crisis
NEW YORK -- On June 10, French photographer Steve Fiehl will present Resilient Souls at a private reception hosted by Bill Ford, Marigay McKee and Jeffrey and Marjorie Rosen at the International Center for Photography.
"Jeffrey and I are thrilled to further support such an important Lower East Side organization such as The Bowery Mission and this powerful project," Marjorie Rosen commented. "The International Center of Photography has had a fruitful partnership with The Bowery Mission community, including presenting photographic and writing workshops that resulted in powerful self-portraits that were presented at ICP's exhibition space at 250 Bowery in 2016."
Steve Fiehl's exhibition was first shown during the 20th Valentine Gala of The Bowery Mission and will be presented throughout in different public places. It has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Richemont North America.
"Bill and I are pleased to support The Bowery Mission and all the great work they do for the thousands of homeless New Yorkers daily," Marigay McKee commented. "First, the humanity of the situation is essential to understand the scale of the problem we face and second, the talent of Steve Fiehl who took the portraits at The Bowery, gives unidentified guests an identity."
Steve Fiehl spent several months in the shelters and the programs of The Bowery Mission, one of the oldest and most dynamic nonprofit organizations addressing the needs of New Yorkers in crisis. He will present a large exhibition of 30 black and white photos by mixing a documentary approach and deep, personal portraits of men and women in life transformation programs, struggling to get back on their feet.
"We all see people experiencing homelessness and hunger everywhere in the streets of New York and their number has never been so high since the Great Depression," Steve explains. "But we rarely know who they are, what their story is and how exactly they survive in such a harsh environment."
Many photographers have taken pictures of homeless people in the streets, but few have been behind the doors of shelters or documented the way reintegration programs work. Doing so helps to get rid of the "homeless" label we usually put on people living on the street and see the man or the woman in need that every one of us could become.
"It has been a spiritual journey, where you navigate through very different feelings: fear and sometimes repulsion; pity and compassion; admiration and love," Steve adds. "These New Yorkers are not 'just' without a home; they are disconnected from their family and any kind of social relationship; they have no more trust in others or themselves; they have lost their sense of identity. But they are still here, struggling. Those survivors of our contemporary world can teach us much more than we think about life, resilience and the importance of spirituality. They are wiser than many of us. I dedicate this work to those who have the courage to stand up and fight for their dignity as human beings."