With this long term project I document cultural activities in what used to be some of the worlds most dangerous cities along the US/Mexican border. Since 2008 I photographed 180 artists along the entire 2000 miles long divide to show the vibrant cultural side of a region that is usually portrayed by the international media with the sole focus on violent crime. The border has particular significance to me since I was born in Germany where a wall divided Berlin and my country until it came down in 1989. Meanwhile the steel ‘wall’ between the US and Mexico is growing in length and hight and does its part to create a physiological and physical barrier between the two countries. But it cannot not stop cultural exchange.
Artists are the pulse of a society and I believe if we ignore the cultural side of troubled places, we will soon stop caring about them all together. I photographed both internationally renowned as well as only locally known or even unknown artists. Each one has a positive influence on their community in one way or another, often by their highly visible creations like murals and sculptures in public places.
Artist Bios
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Stefan Falke
German-American photographer Stefan Falke was born in Paderborn, Germany. After leaving his civil engineering studies, he became a photographer’s assistant in Munich and later worked as a silk-screen printer in Hamburg before being hired to shoot stills photography for international movie productions. He credits his many years on film sets with laying the foundation for his photographic career. He now works for corporate and editorial clients who trust his visual storytelling and on location portraiture qualities.
Falke’s personal photography projects resulted in these acclaimed photo books and exhibitions: MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad, LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US–Mexican Border, Keep Going New York !! and Reflecting New York. His work is published in major print publications and exhibited internationally, including at Photoville (New York), Visa pour l’Image (France), Triennale der Photographie Hamburg (Germany), and the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah (UAE), where he received a Global Focus Project Award for Keep Going New York !! in 2024. Other photo industry recognitions include Communication Arts, LensCulture and New York Photography Awards.
Falke is a member of the German photo agency LAIF (the agency is represented in the United States by Redux Pictures).
He and his wife Christine live in New York City.
Organizations
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BRIC
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Mexican Cultural Institute
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LUXLAB
LUXLAB is the bridge that brings photographers across the chasm created by the ever changing photo industry. We print, scan, process and mount digital and analog photographs. The mission of LUXLAB is to serve the photographic arts community with astounding technology built on the tradition of hand-made, high quality printing and processing.
La Frontera
Featuring: Stefan Falke
Curated by: Julie Grahame
Locations
View Location Details Brooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 5 UplandsBrooklyn,
NY 11201
Location open 24 hours
