The Colegio Pedro Poveda in Jaén (Spain) hosted an exhibition by Madrid-based photographer Gloria Nistal, entitled Welcoming Smiles for a World in Crisis.
The RAJAB Project, the Education and Culture Association (AEC), and the Colegio Pedro Poveda organized the exhibition, which was on display at the school from November 11 to 14. The initiative was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Sierra Mágina Rural Development Association, the RAJAB Project, and the author herself, Gloria Nistal.
The exhibition features 35 photographs taken in more than 30 countries and four continents. All of them reveal the smiles of women, adults and the elderly, boys and girls, in countries where war and hunger are a constant.
Cristina Vico, culture technician at ADR Sierra Mágina, introduced the author, who is a writer, poet, teacher, photographer, and traveler. She also said that these images reflect that “another world is possible if we focus on what is important in life, smiles, the joy of human beings, wherever they live.”
Pilar Poveda Sánchez, coordinator of the RAJAB Project, was also present and commented: “Each of these moments reveals a true psychological and sociological analysis of the countries photographed.”
The energy of a smile
For her part, the photographer explained the meaning of the exhibition, which is to bring together people from different cultures, religions, and ages, with one thing in common: a welcoming smile. The camera has captured spontaneous smiles from people in their daily routines, conveying the “energy behind that gesture and the ability to welcome others.”
Nistal then initiated a dialogue with the students in the school and those present from the RAJAB Project, so that anyone who wished to do so could express their impressions, the energies they perceived, their feelings about the immortalized smiles, and how to be builders of dialogue and peace.
Finally, Marta Cruz, director of the Colegio Pedro Poveda, said that the experience was very enriching: “Through these images, Gloria Nistal has brought us closer to diverse realities and at the same time has made us discover the transformative power of empathy and solidarity.”
Photos: RAJAB Project.
More information in the website of the Institución Teresiana en España.
TA Translation Team.
Published in News