Irish photographers feature in international auction of prints to benefit Médecins Sans Frontières
A young boy plays against a wall in north Belfast on the eve of the August 1994 IRA ceasefire which gave rise to the peace process, culminating in the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998. Pic: Crispin Rodwell
A pair of Irish photographers - including one from Cork - are among those auctioning prints of their work in aid of international frontline medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
Members of the Eyewitness Collective, a group of socially-concerned photographers spread across the world, have organised the auction while in the midst of local and national lockdowns, collecting prints of work from members and selected collaborators to auction and fundraise for the organisation's ground work, as the pandemic continues in at-risk areas worldwide.
Sixty-six prints are up for auction, including Crispin Rodwell's street-art snap 'Time for Peace' (pictured on top), taken in North Belfast on the eve of the 1994 IRA ceasefire that gave rise to the Northern peace process, and two prints from Provision photographer Michael McSweeney: one detailing a moment in Prodanza Ballet School in Habana, Cuba, and the other capturing comorants taking in some sun in the Lagoon in Rosscarbery, Co Cork.
Among other prints in the auction are one by Magnum Photos' Ian Berry, from his observational series The English; an image by the renowned Vietnam War photographer Tim Page; an image by the celebrated photojournalist Tom Stoddart from The Sudan, the fall of the Berlin Wall by prominent photojournalist Paul Lowe; and fine art prints by Yoshie Nishikawa.
"As an international group, we couldn’t have chosen a more important, dynamic and crucial group of people as the teams at MSF", reads a collectively-signed statement from the group. "The organisation is working across the world, to counter Covid-19. With nearly 50 years of experience fighting epidemics, protecting the most vulnerable and saving countless lives, we are humbled to do our part in helping MSF."
“MSF would like to say a huge thank you to the Eyewitness Collective for choosing to support our COVID-19 response," says MSF UK fundraising co-ordinator Meera Patel. "MSF is currently racing to respond to the pandemic in over 70 countries, and funds raised by the Eyewitness Collective will undoubtedly help us to achieve our vital priorities. These include supporting health systems and authorities, protecting vulnerable populations through vital medical services, improving infection prevention and control measures, and even opening new projects”.
