Through the bars of his solitary confinement cell in a detention centre for political prisoners, a prisoner pushed a piece of paper into the hand of photographer Rune Eraker. There was just one sentence written on it:
"Tell the world about us"
This was in 2001. A decade and a half later, Rune Eraker embarked on a four year project in which he sought out forgotten prisoners and others who had had their freedom snatched away. He says:
"Tell the world about us"
This was in 2001. A decade and a half later, Rune Eraker embarked on a four year project in which he sought out forgotten prisoners and others who had had their freedom snatched away. He says:
This exhibition is about them,
those who are imprisoned, isolated, tortured, steam rollered and sentenced - in the worst cases, to death. Some for what they believe in.Others are victims of unjust laws, prejudice, politics, regimes, violence, religion of the devastation of war.
But the exhibition is also about strength. About courage, the capacity to suffer and endure.
Along famous people such as Edward Snowden and the Dalai Lama, the exhibition casts also light on unknown prisoners, such as prisoners on death row in the United States from the Save Innocents campaign, who have been fighting to obtain justice for decades. Those are Michael Lambrix in Florida (executed in October 2017), Charles Mamou and Tony Medina in Texas. So many more could be brought to light.
Some fight to prove their innocence, some have died already. All fight to preserve their dignity and determination, and need our help.
If you ask me to chose between my state and my voice,
I would be rather without state than without voice.
Edward Snowden
The Nobel Peace Center calls on "everyone who visits this exhibition not to forget, but to see, talk about and protest against injustice" and leave the last words to Norwegian writer Arnulf Overland in his poem from 1937 ("You must not sleep"):
"You must not sit tucked away at home and say:
"So sad, poor them!", and turn your face away.
You must not tolerate without a care
Injustice that you never had to bear!
I challenge you with all the breath I've left:
How dare you walk on past and just forget!"
The exhibition is open to the public from 14 September 2018 until 15 January 2019. It is subsequently due to be shown at Tromsø kunstforening and the Portuguese Center of Photography. A book has also been edited in support of the exhibition.
"You must not sit tucked away at home and say:
"So sad, poor them!", and turn your face away.
You must not tolerate without a care
Injustice that you never had to bear!
I challenge you with all the breath I've left:
How dare you walk on past and just forget!"
The exhibition is open to the public from 14 September 2018 until 15 January 2019. It is subsequently due to be shown at Tromsø kunstforening and the Portuguese Center of Photography. A book has also been edited in support of the exhibition.
This exhibition will be shortly followed up by a new web show including the contributions of other prisoners in the USA. Please contact us for any further detail.
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