October 31, 2024

International Center of Photography (ICP) presents We Are Here: Scenes from the Streets, through January 6, 2025

“The International Center of Photography (ICP) presents We Are Here: Scenes from the Streets, an in-depth exploration into 50 years of contemporary public life documented through the lens of over 30 street photographers from around the world, beginning in the 1970s. Guest curated by Isolde Brielmaier, PhD, with Noa Wynn, Independent Curatorial Assistant, We Are Here opens at ICP on September 25, 2024 and runs through January 6, 2025.

Featuring works by photographers from Algeria, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, the USA, and beyond, We Are Here reframes our understanding of ‘the street’ and the activities and exchanges that occur in diverse public and community spaces. In a world fraught with misunderstanding and societal tension, the exhibition highlights street photography’s unique viewpoints on local culture and unfolding events. Documenting both dramatic and everyday moments—from street style to protests—the works in We Are Here testify to the resilience and similarities of the human experience.” — International Center of Photography

Devin Allen, A Freddie Gray protest in Baltimore, Md., 2015. © Devin Allen
Shoichi Aoki, from the series FRUiTS, 1998. Courtesy Shoichi Aoki
Martha Cooper, Kids climbing a fence in an abandoned lot, Lower East Side, NYC from the series
Street Play, 1978. © Martha Cooper
Farnaz Damnabi, Untitled, Birjand, Iran, 2017. Courtesy of Farnaz Damnabi and 29 Arts In Progress
gallery
Debrani Das, Cartwheels of Pushkar, from the series Anonymous, 2022. © Debrani Das
Corky Lee, Chinatown Community Young Lions performing at the Lunar New Year parade in
Chinatown, New York, 1996. © Corky Lee/Corky Lee Estate
Daidō Moriyama, Pretty Woman, 2017. © Daidō Moriyama Photo Foundation
Melissa O’Shaughnessy, Canal Street, New York, 2017. © Melissa O’Shaughnessy
Jamel Shabazz, Man & Dog on the Lower East Side, 1980. Courtesy Jamel Shabazz
Trevor Stuurman, Untitled (A Day in Dakar), 2023. © Trevor Stuurman

“We Are Here invites viewers to confront the richness and complexities of our modern, multifaceted life, emphasizing our shared humanity beyond geographic and cultural divides,” Brielmaier said of the exhibition. “Today’s world moves fleetingly, but these images prove that though circumstances might change, humanity is not going anywhere; the stories of our lives will remain.”

“Street photographers often navigate the complexities of power dynamics and privilege,” Elisabeth Sherman, ICP Senior Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections said. “We hope this exhibition sparks reflection and conversation about the historical and current dynamics of public spaces that are shaped and mediated by gender, race, and socio-economic status, and how we critically understand the ways they govern our lives.”

“As we end ICP’s 50th anniversary celebration with We Are Here, we are reaffirming our mission to educate the public on the power of visual storytelling and to foster international dialogue about what it means to be a concerned photographer today,” said Bob Jeffrey, ICP

Images courtesy International Center of Photography (ICP).