H2O Perspectives
FLASH #16
"Everything begins with an idea"
H2O Perspectives:
Exploring the Essence of Water
Call for Entry: "H2O Perspectives" - Exploring the Essence of Water This is a FREE exhibition. No entry fees and no other fees. Attention all photographers! We are excited to announce our upcoming online photography contest, "H2O Perspectives," where we invite you to capture the beauty and significance of water through your lens. Whether it's the tranquil allure of a serene lake, the rhythmic dance of ocean waves, the intricate patterns of rainfall, or the reflective qualities of water in urban landscapes, we encourage you to delve into the diverse and evocative nature of water. This is an opportunity to show the world your unique vision and interpretation of this vital element, and to engage viewers with the compelling stories and emotions that water evokes. Selected works will be featured in a prominent online exhibition, offering exposure and recognition for your talent. Submission Guidelines: - Submit your photographs depicting the theme "H2O Perspectives", formatted to at least 2000 pixels on the long side. - Name your files prior to uploading: FirstName-LastName_title - Include a brief artist statement describing your inspiration and connection to the theme. - Deadline for submissions: June 1, 2024 - Accepted entries will be announced, and the exhibit will be on line, soon after June 1. - Submit your entries using this form. We look forward to experiencing the myriad ways in which water inspires and captivates through your artistry. Join us in celebrating the multifaceted beauty of "H2O Perspectives" and the profound impact of water in our world. - Open to all photographers over 18. - The entry fee is FREE for up to five photographs. - Ensure your entries align with our exhibition's thematic essence and uphold artistic excellence. **Application Deadline:** June 1 **Notification of Acceptance:** Soon after June 1 **Exhibition Begins:** early June THIS WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY ON OUR WEBSITE
Decagon Gallery
Manuela Federl
Manuela Federl has worked as a journalist for more than 15 years. She studied languages, economics and cultural area studies with a focus on Romance studies at the University of Passau in Germany and the Universidad de Concepción in Chile. In 2016, she founded her company bergjournalisten. Since then she has been working as an independent documentary film director and journalist for different TV stations and for cinemas. In 2021 she got several prizes for her documentary "THE GAME. Gambling between life and death" about the situation of refugees at the EU border.
For the past two years she has been travelling through different countries to document social topics in picture and text.
“Once upon a time there was a princess in the Roma ghetto. Society's racism and discrimination trapped her in the slum. Nevertheless, a brave prince tried to free her from the clutches of poverty and place the world at her feet.” A dream that many girls in the Roma settlements probably have.
The girl from this fairy tale lives in Trebišov, one of the largest Roma ghettos in Slovakia. Around 7,000 people live here under precarious conditions in cobbled-together barracks or run-down tenements. Most apartments have no sewage system, no showers, no toilets and no kitchen. There is one single well for all residents. Trebišov, in eastern Slovakia, is one of around 800 settlements that exist, according to the 2019 Atlas of Roma Communities.
Around 450,000 Roma live in Slovakia. At around ten per cent, they are the largest minority in the country. But already children have a difficult start. According to a 2022 study by the European Union, 2/3 of Roma children go to schools where only Roma are taught. The girl from the fairy tale also attends an all-Roma school in the settlement. The children often speak Romani, the language of the Roma, with their parents at home. Since there are no kindergartens for them, their Slovak language is often poor when they start school. They are enrolled in special schools that only Roma attend. The school material in nine years corresponds to the content that Slovak children learn in four years. Because of this, attending secondary school is almost impossible.
Discrimination and poor access to education prevent young Roma from breaking the vicious circle of poverty. According to the Slovak Interior Ministry, 48 per cent of Roma are unemployed. Mostly they get day labour jobs. They have no regular routine and no hope for improvement. These prospects make life difficult to bear. Hopelessness has led many young people to become addicted to alcohol or drugs. No population group in Europe has to live in more inhumane conditions. On average, they die ten years earlier than other Slovaks.
The bitter truth for the girls in the Trebišov Roma ghetto is that most princesses do not have a high school diploma, they have their first child before they are of age, they never leave the settlement and struggle to survive their entire lives.
