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One Thousand Lifetimes in One Lifetime

This exhibition in the Kerry Packer Civic Gallery features award-winning photojournalists Kate Geraghty and Barat Ali Batoor.

Oct 29, 2015, updated Nov 02, 2015
Bamyan, Afghanistan. 2005

Bamyan, Afghanistan. 2005

It is an exploration into the darkest hours of a person’s life, when war, conflict and tragedy overlay their existence, ‘One Thousand Lifetimes in One Lifetime’, showcases the resilience of those whose lives are caught in their ceaseless rebuilding of hopes, dreams and future.

Prominent Fairfax photographer Kate Geraghty, has been a recipient of five Nikon Walkley awards plus a United Nations Media Peace award for photojournalism. Her work has taken her all over the world – from the Bali Bombings; the Iraq War; the ongoing conflict Ukraine and Afghanistan; and covering the tragic downing of Malaysian flight MH17 on the Ukraine/Russian border. Kate believes that ‘It is a privilege to meet people and for them to trust us enough to tell us their story…Whether it’s a pro-Russian rebel or a boy who’s been shot by Islamic State, each one of them has to be given the respect to tell their story.’

As part of this upcoming exhibition, Kate profiles haunting imagery which shows the devastation of sexual violence, which had been used by the Congolese army and rebel groups systematically in the war-torn North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Barat Ali Batoor was born in 1983 to a Hazara family from Afghanistan who had been driven from their homeland by the Taliban. In 2005, Batoor began using a camera to document the displacement of his Hazara community as they fled from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Seven years later, Barat himself also had to flee his homeland – travelling with 92 other passengers hidden below deck to escape detection by the Water Police, he shot a selection of images capturing the long route through Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and then by sea to Australia.

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One Thousand Lifetimes in One Lifetime will feature a series of photographs named, ‘Hazara Exodus’, by Barat. This spectacular series brought him to the attention of the Australian audience as he was awarded the prestigious Nikon-Walkley ‘Photo of the Year’ in 2013.

Barat Ali Batoor will give an Artist Talk at 5.15pm, prior to the official exhibition launch at 6.00pm on Thursday 5 November 2015 by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO, Governor of South Australia.

One Thousand Lifetimes in One Lifetime is jointly presented with The Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service (STTARS). They are among the very few support services that provide specialist and culturally appropriate psychosocial rehabilitation to refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced torture and trauma. Survivors are assisted to overcome horrific events of the past and are supported in building a new and productive life in Australia.

As a trauma focused agency, STTARS offers group counselling, one-to-one rehabilitation provision, survivor centred advocacy and support. STTARS provides education and training to schools, GPs, allied health providers, police, volunteers and other organisations who work within a similar sector or are interested in our model of practice.

Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre and STTARS (Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service)

Photo credit: Barat Ali Batoor

FREE at the Kerry Packer Civic Gallery: One Thousand Lifetimes in One Lifetime
Open from 4 November – 9 December
Open weekdays 9am -5pm, late Thursdays until 7pm
Artist Talk: Thursday 5 November, 5.15pm

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