Autograph’s Bindi Vora picks the projects and artists that made an impression on her.

“During 2020, I had the pleasure and privilege of speaking with many artists across the world and hearing about the work they have been making. Despite all the challenges of the past year, a highlight for me was seeing work by photographers at five different portfolio review events – all held virtually, reaching a much broader constituency of artists than the traditional in-person reviews might have.

The conversations have been rich, the work diverse and the discussions challenging. Each of these moments forced me to consider why we as artists make work, what makes it important and – most enriching of all – what we hope audiences may take from our viewpoints and stories. Through these conversations I was struck by the number of projects that tackled important issues and narratives that have emerged as global concerns: climate change, migrant communities, exile, healthcare and witnessing violence. All of which resonate, and reflect, the impact of the global pandemic. These bodies of work shared a sensibility that made a profound impression, and I was captivated by the artist’s research, talent and future hopes for their works. ”

Bindi Vora is an artist and curator, and Curatorial Project Manager at Autograph.

1. Marilene Riberio, Dead Water (2015 – 18). Dead Water presents a journey of the detrimental effects of hydroelectricity, telling the stories of the people who have been affected by these ventures, devastating numerous communities across Brazil. Visit Riberio’s website for more about the project.

2) Mateo Arciniegas, Olvido pa’ Recordar (ongoing). The quest to find home and a lost identity underpins Mateo Arciniegas’ ongoing work Olvido pa’ Recordar – translated as ‘Forget to Remember’. Born and raised in Columbia, Arcinegas moved to Tennessee in 2010 as his mother believed it would provide a better life for the family. During this time, he continued to question his new surroundings, asking “can I ever feel like I really belong here?”. Follow the artist on Instagram.

3) Paloma Tendero. Using her body as site to investigate her genetic lineage, Tendero focuses on the delicate and often precarious nature in which her body is silently compromised. Through multiple iterations of work, Tendero’s performative, sculptural photographs reveal genetic imperfections, dragging them from “the inside into the revealing light of the external view”. Visit Tendero’s website and view more of her art.

4) Rocio Eslava, El nombre de mi Madre es Niebla (My Mother’s name is Mist). Following her mother’s life-altering stroke in 2016, Eslava found herself back in her hometown, embedded in a remote landscape which ended up becoming a site for healing. Eslava expresses “I feel the need to re-know my mother in this new mother-daughter relationship that has been established”. View the series and watch a short film on her website.