Biography:
Born in 1949, Vida has participated in conferences, curated various photographic exhibitions, and sat on the board of directors of the Mexican Council for Photography. In 1994, through the National Endowment for the Arts she is artist in residence at nexus contemporary Art Center in Atlanta, USA. In 1997 she was selected for work presentation at the SPE annual conference in Dallas and that same year, was invited to participate at the Havana Biennial. Her photographs have been exhibited since 1983 in over 90 collective exhibitions worldwide. She has had solo shows in countries like Cuba, Austria, Serbia, France, United States, Spain, Southafrica and Mexico.
She has been tutor for FONCA (National Art Organization), in their young photographers program and a member of their advisory committee in photography. Her book "Cárcel de los sueños", with the introduction written by Elena Poniatowska, was published in 1997. In the year 2000, she was named a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and since 2001, she is a member of the Mexican National Artist Organization. A selection of aditional testimonials of recognition include: First prize "Women, the image creators", Guadalajara Biennial; "Special Projects". Mexican Council for the Arts; “Essay-Grant”. National institute of Fine Arts, Mexico; honorable mention. "Premio Casa de las Américas", Cuba; Second prize. "Salón Internacional", Asturias, Spain; First prize "Anthropological Photography", I.N.A.H, Mexico.
Statement:
Vida Yovanovich’s motivation in undertaking this body of work has been to capture the essence of individuals she has come to know, to illuminate the character of their humanity. These images reflect an intense and trusting photographer-subject relationship, one in which the camera becomes a remarkable witness to a realm that is often sensationalized, and more often, ignored. The artist’s gift is in to extend that relation outward to embrace the spectator. But in doing so, Yovanovich denies us the possibility of neutrality. Ultimately, we must decide whether we view the imprisoned as existing far outside and unrelated to our experience, or, if we identify something of ourselves in figures that embody life at its most precarious, most vulnerable.
This text is taken from an essay for the exhibition by Elizabeth Ferrer.
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