Gervasio Sánchez

The Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico invites to the conference War is not a spectacle, given by Gervasio Sanchez.

Armed conflicts and the result of violence in the former Yugoslavia, Africa, Asia and Latin America have been captured by the lens of Spanish photojournalist Gervasio Sánchez (Córdoba, 1959), who will give a lecture at the Spanish Cultural Center in Mexico entitled “War is not a spectacle.

The photographer will share his experiences on documenting tragedies and showing reality so as not to fall into sensationalism when reporting the human drama: “Victims have the right to dignity and our respect; and if they do not agree to appear in a story, we must fully respect their decision,” explains Gervasio Sanchez who has been deserving, among other important awards, the National Photography Award 2009, for ”his contribution to reportage photography and how through it dignifies the victims, with a particular look that exalts the best values of photojournalism.”

For Gervasio Sánchez, photography that portrays the human drama -the essence of our failure- must avoid schematization, frivolity and spectacle. Since living among the victims always gives another perspective because you end up knowing their spaces, their best-kept secrets or their unfinished dreams. “If you don't suffer the pain, the cry of the victims, their dignified silence, how can you transmit the drama with decency?

Part of the training program includes his experiences on the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the victims of the terrible effects of anti-personnel mines (a project he has followed for more than 20 years), the children of war, the missing or the women of Afghanistan, to mention a few.

It is worth mentioning that his work is regularly published in the Heraldo de Aragón, as well as collaborating with Cadena Ser and the BBC. Among the awards he has received are: the Spanish National Photography Award, the Ortega y Gasset Photography Award, the King of Spain International Journalism Award, the Humanitarian Award of the Foreign Press Correspondents Association, the Save The Children Award, as well as being named UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace.

Gervasio Sánchez

He is the author of more than a dozen photographic books, such as El Cerco de Sarajevo (1995), Vidas Minadas (1997, 2002 and 2007), Kosovo, crónica de la deportación (1999), Niños de la guerra (2000), Sierra Leona, guerra y paz (2005), Sarajevo, 1992-2008 (2009), Desaparecidos (2011), Mujeres de Afganistán (together with journalist Mònica Bernabé, 2014) and Vida (2016). In 2001 he coordinates, together with Manuel Leguineche, the book Los ojos de la guerra and in 2004 he publishes the literary book Salvar a los niños soldados.

–Centro Cultural de España en México