Temporarily Ours: Contemporary Photography and Film

Temporarily Ours features photo and video works by eight contemporary artists working in Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine, and the United States. Through photography and film, these artists create enduring images of the innovative ways communities have maintained a sense of belonging in the face of adversity.

Many of the artists in the show highlight people temporarily laying claim to spaces that normally exclude them. Eduardo Hernández Santos, for example, photographed queer Cubans partying along Havana’s seafront wall under cover of night, evading persecution while temporarily claiming one of the city's most recognizable landmarks as their own.

Other artists allude to oppressive realities but choose to focus on the ways people are creative and resilient. For example, Daniel Kötter filmed residents of Nafar Abad—a historic Iranian neighborhood—describing the makeshift gathering space they created for their community amidst the municipality’s decades-long demolition of their neighborhood.

While bearing witness to the ongoing struggle for recognition, belonging, and community, these artists raise questions about the power we hold to create the world we want to live in.

Temporarily Ours Reading List