Drought made us equal - Adrienne Surprenant
From March 11 to April 1st, 2018, the House of Sustainable Development presents Adrienne Surprenant: Drought made us equal.
United Nations declared that the droughts hitting Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and Nigeria caused the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. In Somalia, 6.2 million people are in urgent need for humanitarian help. I photographed Somaliland, one of Somalia's regions that is hit the hardest by the drought.
It has been two years that the seasonal Gu and Deyr rains are scarce in Somaliland. Across the whole “country”, 80% of the livestock is dead. The un-recognized government loses its main income source, and more than 59 000 pastors and their families are forced into exodus towards cities and villages.
More stable than neighboring South-Central Somalia, this small territory is now threatened by another form of violence: that of climate change's impact on a traditional way of life, in a State lacking the financial means to support its vulnerable population.
About the artist
Adrienne Surprenant studied photography at Dawson College, before engaging in documentary photography. She works on the idea of nation, and identity’s construction in relation to territory. Her first documentary work “Waiting for the canal in Nicaragua” has been exhibited at Visa pour l’image 2015. She is part of the top 30 Under 30 Women Photographers 2017, by Photoboite. Her photogrpahs have been exhibited at Zoom Photo Festival in Chicoutimi, at Maison de la culture Rosemont and at the French institute of Yaounde, in Cameroon. Her photographs have been published in l’Instant Paris Match, El Pais Semanal, Le Monde Diplomatique, the Guardian, the Globe and Mail, Neon, Vice France, La Presse and Le Devoir.
Opening Reception
The opening of the exhibition will take place on March 13, 2018 at 12:15. Suggested contributions: $5.
Thank you!
The House of Sustainable Development would like to thank Hydro-Québec, the main partner in its programming. We would also like to thank Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins, Journal Metro and Planetair, which will offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transportation of participants in the 2018 programming.
Proud partner of the City of Montréal and Sustainable Montréal 2016-2020
