As part of the column ‘Women by Women: A Shared Vision,’ created to expand and develop the theme chosen for our Global open call, we had a conversation with Verónica Sanchis, founder of Foto Féminas, a platform founded in 2014 spotlighting women photographers from Latin America and the Caribbeans. Born out Sanchis s desire to see equal representation in photography, as a Venezuelan woman and photographer, Foto Féminas hosts talks, projections, exhibitions and a mobile library. Sanchis talked with us about her project and the urgency of representation, what she looks for in the projects she features, and the events Foto Féminas has in plan for the future.
How was your project born?
Foto Féminas was born from my own frustrations as a Venezuelan woman and photographer.
I began my photography studies in the U.K in 2005. From the very beginning, I noticed that it was difficult to find content created by women photographers, and even more so by Latin American and Caribbean women photographers.
This curiosity always accompanied me throughout my studies and eventually led me to write my thesis on the differences between local and foreign photographers in Mexico during the 20th century. Here, I researched and compared the works of Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Edward Weston, Graciela Iturbide, and Tina Modotti. Upon discovering Iturbide s work, I became very interested in her documentary work of Mexico. This sparked my desire to continue researching Latin American photographers. Later on, around 2012, I began a monthly column in the online Spanish publication Ventana Latina called; "Ten questions with..." (Diez preguntas con…) where I had the opportunity to interview various Ibero-American contemporary photographers such as Karla Gachet, Marcelo Pérez del Carpio, Alejandro Cartagena, Antonio Briceño, among others.
During this experience, I once again noticed the lack of Latin American female photographers’ representation, at least in the online world. This self-imposed role as researcher, interviewer, and photo editor, combined with my university thesis and personal interest in photography and the representation of women, led me to the idea of creating Foto Féminas.
In 2014, I decided to create an accessible web platform with the goal of publishing a monthly online feature — in both, English and Spanish — by Latin American and Caribbean photographers. The first publication was in January 2015 featuring the work of Argentine photographer Lorena Marchetti, whom I had previously interviewed for Ventana Latina.
Today Foto Féminas has over 100 features, we have organised talks, projections, exhibitions and run a reference library, which we have displayed at various photography events.
In our current times, what do you think are the major challenges the Latin American female photographers are facing? Do you have any tips that could help these artists overcome them
Believe in the work you do. Find and follow those professionals that you respect and push yourself to excellence. Continue to create, experiment, make mistakes, and present your work. Every step provides an opportunity to be discovered and to learn something new about your work. Recognise your community, invest in yourself, learn about other artists works.
Every month you feature a photographer, spotlighting her work. How does this project work and how is it possible to apply?
Essentially, I find a lot of the works by myself through research, social media, and meeting photographers in person or online. Sometimes photographers have also been suggested by colleagues, editors, and curators. Having said that, Foto Féminas holds a continuous open call where people can submit their work for free. Once I find a project that I like, I invite the photographer to be featured with a body of work.
What do you look for in the projects you feature?
I mainly look to feature photographers who are well engaged with their photographic language, whether they are students, emerging or well established. But what s most important to me is to see a project that has a coherent narrative and a strong voice. I don’t judge according to CVs or what school the photographers attended. To me it is all about the project.
Would you tell us more about the Foto Féminas’ library?
Foto Féminas Mobile Library (aka La Biblio Móvil) consists of a customised wooden structure that I wear while displaying photo books by Latin American and Caribbean women and non-binary photographers. The idea surged to continue Foto Féminas’ mission but in real life and with contemporary photobooks, which vary from artists books, monographs, small, medium, and large editions.
The performance aims to introduce Foto Féminas’ collection, engage in dialogues with the audience, connect artists, and promote their photobooks. The collection began with donations from artists, and through these performances, Foto Féminas continues its mission to celebrate and archive the work of women and non-binary Latin American photographers. To date, the library has been displayed at several photo book fairs in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Miami and New York.
What’s an upcoming project you are working on?
I continue to work on Foto Féminas monthly online features and displaying the library at different photo events.
This year we were invited to participate at Rencontre d’Arles to participate at the Night of the Year. I have selected 5 projects including the works of: Isabel Tirado, Ana Leal, Bárbara Lissa, Taniusha Sophia S. Kovalski and Nathalie Sayago. We were also very fortunate to be selected among one of the best projections of the night, so we were invited to show our projection at the Ancien Collège Mistral until the end of the festival in October.
For this special invitation I worked together with Tortugas al Viento with whom I edited the projection together with Sara Escobar. I feel like as Sara has been part of Foto Féminas community for several years she understood very clearly the style and purpose of the projection. The result is a beautiful 5min long video where images and text are in dialogue.
We are also organizing our 10th Anniversary photo exhibition at Centro Cultural de España in Buenos Aires, Argentina which will inaugurate in September through December. This exhibition will focus on a selection of our works and collaborations in the past 10 years. It is also a beautiful collaboration between Foto Féminas photographers from across the region. The show is being curated by Laura Spivak and co-produced by Lorena Marchetti and Julieta Anaut, both members of Foto Feminas.
Lastly, we are organising another anniversary show in New York City as well, but more details to be disclosed soon.
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Since everything we do at PhotoVogue is rooted in empowerment and collaboration with entities that share our values, is there a women-focused organization you’d like to spotlight or give a shout-out to?
Absolutely.
Femgrafia by Karla Guerrero
Fotógrafas Latinoamericanas by Lorena Velazco
Fernanda Patino
Fotógrafas en el Mundo by Karina Beltran
Solipsis Art Ecuador
Colectivo Las Ninas
Cooperativa Fotógrafas
