Photos from the Wichi/H20 project, by Matador editor {link="https://matadornetwork.com/author/leigh-shulman/"}Leigh Shulman{/link}.

Burning Man Recognizes Art Project to End Malnutrition

Travel
by Jason Wire Jul 29, 2011
Cloudhead Art Foundation, founded and run by Matador editor Leigh Shulman and her partner Noah Edelblum, announced this week that they won a grant from Burners Without Borders, the philanthropic arm of Burning Man’s Black Rock Arts Foundation.

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How They Plan To Put the Grant To Good Use

What started last year as a simple call for used digital cameras turned into Wichi/H20, an art and community project that puts your used digital cameras in the hands of children of the Wichi indigenous community in northwest Argentina.

Each time Noah and Leigh visited the community, they’d bring donations of food and clothing, then hand out the cameras for the children to play.

Six months, thirty camera donations, and 4,000 photos later, Cloudhead is hosting its first Wichi/H20 exhibition at the Casa de la Cultura in Salta, Argentina. The exhibit begins August 1 and runs through August 13th.

Why Would I Want To See These Photos?

The photos are really incredible. From photos of pigs lounging by the cooking fire to squash picking to preparing dinner in huge metal pots over a fire, the photos tell the story of their lives. They show how these children live and what they love to do.

One boy named Javier has already developed his own style. I always know it’s his photo because whether he’s out exploring drain pipes or walking across dry cracked earth, his bare foot peeks into the right side of the photo.

What we’re trying to create here is art. When people buy these photos — be it originals, reworked through photoshop or on t-shirts — they buy them because they love the photo and not simply out of kindness.

Even better, when you buy one of these photos, all profits go toward fruit trees, goats and gardening tools, so the photographer and the members of his or her community move one step away from dying of malnutrition and one step closer to supporting themselves through sustainable means.

Leigh Shulman, project director

If you’ll be traveling near Salta, Argentina, stop by and check out the kids’ photos. You can also leave donations of non-perishable food, clothing and cameras at the exhibit itself.

Want to get involved with Cloudhead and their projects?

For more information, contact Leigh and Noah through their website. Or if you have a camera to donate, find out how on their original call for cameras.

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