Markazi
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Biographical / Historical
Nadia Benchallal was born in 1963 in Orthez-France to French Algerian parents. In 1991, she studied photography at the International Center of Photography in New York City. She subsequently acquired professional experience assisting photographers such as Joshua Greene, Antoine Verglas, Martine Barrat, Arthur Elgort, and the portraitist Annie Leibovitz. In 1992, Benchallal began a personal project on the everyday life of Algerian women. She then decided to extend her work to a larger theme: Muslim women over the world. It gave her the opportunity to travel widely over the years, exploring her vision of the lives of Muslim women in Algeria, Bosnia, Palestine, Burma, Iran, and Malaysia. Since 1994, she has worked internationally for magazines, such as Le Monde, GEO, La Republica, El PaÏs, L'Orient Express, The New York Times, and Aperture. Her work was exhibited on multiple occasions, most recently 'Sisters' was shown at the University of New York in Abu Dhabi. For three years, Benchallal taught photography at the 'Buc Ressources' school of social workers near Versailles. In 2011, she was invited to be a jury member of The China International Press Photo Contest.
Arrangement
This collection was processed as it was received.
Scope and Contents
Markazi casts light on the conditions of mobility and immobility in Yemen and the Horn of Africa through its focus on household composition and everyday life in the Markazi refugee camp in Obock, Djibouti. Markazi—meaning "central" in Arabic—is a site of convergence for approximately 2,000 persons fleeing the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. It is also located at a crossroads, situated within kilometers of the Red Sea harbors from where thousands of young Ethiopian migrants disembark on their own perilous sea crossings to Yemen with the intent of reaching Saudi Arabia to find work. Taken over the course of several extended visits to Obock in 2016–2018, Benchallal's photographs depict these refugees' daily efforts and exertions to survive their encampment on this windswept, desert plain. Text by Nathalie Peutz.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Nadia Benchallal are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from repository. Please contact Akkasah at akkasah@nyu.edu
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Markazi Collection; AD_MC_025; box number; folder number or item identifier; Akkasah Center for Photography, New York University Abu Dhabi.