The widows of Murmansk

by Marte Vike Arnesen

The life expectancy rate for the average male in Murmansk, a city situated in the north west of Russia, is 58 years, for female it is 72. The average female therefore lives 15 years longer than the average male. In a series of portraits I have met some of the women that remained after their husband died. With no work, and no help from the government they are left to themselves, or as often is the case, left to live with their children.

Greenland exhibition in Milan

by Andrea Gjestvang

«Greenland - disappearing Ice Age» is exhibited at Galleria OpenMind in Milan.
Opening tonight, February 2nd, at 7 pm. The exhibition lasts until March 21st.

Galleria Openmind
Via Dante, 12 - 20121 Milano (Italy)

The project is also published in the new Italian photo magazine RearViewMirror #2.
To see more pictures please visit my homepage www.andreagjestvang.com

Anne-Stine Johnsbråten: The Norwegian Roma people

by Andrea Gjestvang

The Roma population in Norway consists of 500 members, who first settled during the late 1800s. In 1934 they were refused re-entrance to the country after an extended trip in Europe, despite the fact that they had Norwegian passports. As a result almost the entire Norwegian Roma population died in consentration camps during World War II. The remaining family members illegally returned to Norway in the mid-fifties, though they were officially denied access. 

Today they are accepted as Norwegian citizens, with a majority living around Oslo during the winter months. In summer, they travel and live at campsites around Scandinavia and Europe. Since many are members of the Pentecostal Church, religious meetings are important to socialize and keep their own culture, language and identity without becoming «too Norwegian». Many Romas are illiterate due to low education, and do not participate in working life. Discrimination and exclusion often happens in restaurants and campsites or in the society in general. For this reason, they rarely travel in Norway anymore.

Anne-Stine Johnsbråten (b.1983) has a BA in photojournalism from Oslo Univeristy College in addition to education at Norwegian Photo School in Trondheim. She divides her time between freelancing for different newspapers and magazines, working on long-term projects and studying social antropology. She has received a grant from Freedom of Expression Foundation in Oslo for the project about the Roma population. The pictures have been exhibited at the group show «Norwegian Documentary Photography» at Henie Onstad in Oslo, and published in the photo book with the same title. Anne-Stine's Roma-project is work in progress.

Taryn Simon: Secret sites

by Marie Sjøvold

Nuclear Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility 

Cherenkov RadiationHanford Site, 

U.S. Department of Energy

Southeastern Washington State

Have a look at her TED-talk!

Filter#04

by Marie Sjøvold 

The latest issue of FILTER is focusing on disappearances. In this issue you can see the work of photographer Kyungwoo Chun (KR), artist Sophie Calle (FR), the artists Daniel & Geo Fuchs (TY), photographer Torben Eskerod (GB), photographer Manfred Beier (TY), photographer Jeff Wall (CAN), photographer Mads Gamdrup (DK), photographer Marie Sjøvold (NO), writer Nicole Krauss (U.S.), poet Niels Frank (DK), and photo researchers Lars Kiel Bertelsen (DK) and Mette Sandbye (GB). 

Summer Time (the sweetest time)

by Andrea Gjestvang

These days parts of Europe, Asia and the US are experiencing extreme winter weather. The massive snowfall, ice and minus degrees make summer seem so far away. 
 
This is an escape. Or a reminder. I made the photos last August, on a short spontaneous trip to Crimea, Ukraine. Crimea used to be Russia's pride, a beloved holyday destination for communist leaders during the Soviet Union. Now, twenty years later thousands of young Russians return to this hidden paradise. 

The girls are prettier, the boys wilder and the champagne sweeter on the golden becahes of the Black Sea.

Bieke Depoorter: Oe menia - With me

by Marie Sjøvold 

"For three periods of one month, I have let the Trans-Siberian train guide me alongside forgotten villages, from living room to living room. Some Russian words, scribbled on a little piece of paper, allowed me to be welcomed and absorbed in the warm chaos of a family. Accidental encounters led me to the places where I could sleep. The living room, the epicentre of their life, establishes an intimate contact between the Russian inhabitants. In this room, they sleep, eat and drink as well as cry. For a brief moment, I was part of this. Their couch became my bed for one night. This way, I experienced transient, but very powerful, shared moments. We communicated without words, we understood eachother somehow."

Bieke Depoorter was born in Kortrijk, 1986. She graduated at KASK in 2009 with a series on Russia, "Oe menia - With me" which won her the Hp Magnum expression award 2009. 

You should all take a look at the whole series at her web!