Judges
Courtesy of
Jorge Mónaco
Unity and Diversity
Jorge Mónaco
Highly Commended
Jorge Mónaco, was born in Buenos Aires.
He works as a photography teacher giving courses, workshops, and seminars in different institutions in Argentina.
His photographs are part of official and private collections. Has made numerous individual and group exhibitions. He participates in Photography exhibitions held in Argentina and abroad.
His works were exhibited in: Argentina, USA, France, England, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Macao, India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Luxembourg, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Austria, Belgium, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Romania, Estonia, Ukraine, Philippines, and Kazakhstan.
He researches and carries out wide-ranging work on pinhole photography.
Since 1995 he has been the director of the ENFO National School of Photography in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
www.enfoweb.com.ar
www.jorgemonaco.com.ar
Mennonites
Pampa de los Guanacos City, Province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina and Guatraché city, Province of La Pampa, Argentina.
2001 - 2011
Argentina has had throughout its history numerous migrations from different communities, which shaped its current cultural identity. In the last years, other communities have seen in Argentina the possibility of development and prosperity. Therefore, communities from different places again came to Argentina, shaping the social panorama and modifying commercial and cultural aspects.
Among all the communities that have settled in our country, one in particular, due to its secrecy and scarce information, generates a peculiar attraction. They are the Mennonites.
The Mennonites are a religious and ethnic group originating in 1525, in Europe. Their doctrine is based on the Bible as the word of God. They are followers of the beliefs of Menno Simons, a pacifist leader of the Anabaptist movement during the Protestant Reformation.
Throughout their history they suffered violent persecution, for which they were obliged to migrate to different parts of the world.
"Nueva Esperanza" (New Hope) was the first colony established in Argentina in 1988. Afterwards in 1996, a second one called "Colonia Santiago" (Santiago’s Colony) was established.
Mennonites called "Old Colony" are pacifists, they deny military service and any use of weapons. They have their own schools, cannot listen to the radio, watch television, own telephones, or use electric lights. Also, cars are prohibited, only allowing tractors for field tasks. They mobilize in horse-drawn carts. They live in remote communities from the big cities, resisting modernity.