Cuidadores

The exhibition talks about the work of six black servants in a lodge in Kimberley, South-Africa. I lived in the lodge in 2019 on my working trip. I paid attention to the fact that the owners and the office staff were white, and the more physical carer work was done by black people. I felt strange being pampered by so many people: breakfast served to the table, my room cleaned, and clothes washed and ironed.

The lodge had a beautiful garden which was taken care of by a man who said that he was ashamed of his work. He told me that he had studied quite a lot and did not want his ex-classmates to see him doing “just gardening”.

I told the people taking care of me that I appreciate their work a lot. They were very friendly. Six of the seven workers volunteered to be photographed.

The exhibition consists of two photos per person – one is a kind of portrait, and the other is a photo collage showing the person at work. Only the gardener wanted to stay anonymous. Instead of his facial image I include some flower photos of the beautiful garden he gently tended.

The photo of the lodge is juxtaposed with a close-up photo of a wounded trunk. The tree resembles the situation in South-Africa: the scars of the past are still visible, the society isn´t yet healed and fair.