So.lil.o.quy

For eighteen months, Alec Von Bargen travelled to twenty-three Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) missions in ten countries, documenting life amidst unfolding global conflicts. Through interviews, photography, recordings, and video, Von Bargen has illuminated the tapestry of human struggle and perseverance across the globe. At the heart of his work are in-depth observation and dialogue with his environment. The resulting photographs show the inspiration obtained by the artist from the struggles of people for survival and the proximity that comes from humanitarian aid. This monumental effort was undertaken with the help of a group of protagonists including doctors, medical staff, volunteers, patients, victims and everyday people—the cacophony of voices form So.lil.o.quy.



“Alec Von Bargen’s body of work, comprising installation, photographic and temporal works, undertaken throughout 10 countries and comprising 23 projects, titled So.lil.o.quy, destabilizes traditional notions of knowledge and representation within visual cultures and methodologies as found in both fields of art and anthropology, attesting to and engaging within a new vision of representational practice, offering a more authentic response to the world.”


—Lynne Roberts Goodwin