El Sueño Americano / The American Dream: Photographs by Tom Kiefer

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October 17, 2019–March 8, 2020

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Drawn from the photographic series of the same name, this exhibition asks us to consider how we treat migrants as a reflection of who we are and who we want to be as Americans. Responding to the dehumanizing treatment migrants face in detention, Kiefer carefully arranged and photographed objects seized and discarded by border officials—objects deemed “potentially lethal” or “non-essential” among a variety of belongings crucial for sustenance, hygiene, protection, comfort, and emotional strength. Blending documentary and fine art photography, Kiefer’s images are a poignant testament to the hardships of migration and a call to return to human decency in how we treat each other.

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Photography by Robert Wedemeyer

© Skirball Cultural Center, 2019