Country Pick / 2017 / /

Sanna´m

  • Prize
  • Photographer
    Antonio Aragon Renuncio, Nicaragua

Sanna'm.
"Gold" in Mòoré language of Burkina Faso.

The hole.
Wandering of battered bodies out of necessity. Burly, sweaty, hungry. Men, women,
children. Many children. Too many.
Frantic bodies moving in and out from the depths. Day and night. No rest. Endless. The
sound of improvised mortar fills the air. Stones and more stones. Tons of red dirt coming
out relentlessly from the bowels of the earth. Sun. Heat. Holes. Earth. Red. Like blood.

All for a handful of gold dust with which to feed the family. From hundreds of feet deep.
Playing with death. Working into the abyss without fresh air. Without eating. Almost
without drinking.Underworld. Only hitting the wall of the hole. Constant hammering. In
search of precious gold. Sweat. Hunger. Perennial cough. Disease. Absence, pain. Death…

Sanna'm.
Gold.
Somewhere beyond the harsh and inhospitable plains full of rocks…

…A great light at the end of the tunnel.

Since the mid-90s always involved with photography: Founds/Chairs “Nostromo” Photographers Association (Spain). University Photography Professor (+15 years): UC (Spain), UAM, UCA and URACCAN (Nicaragua)… Editor in chief Xplorer Magazine (Nicaragua). Free-lance photographer for several International News Agencies. CEO Xtreme PhotoWS (Burkina Faso). Writes about Photo and publishes reportages across digital and print international media. Organizes and Directs the Solidarity Photography Days “Fotografía un Mundo Mejor” (Spain)…
In 2003 he founds, and since then he presides, the NGO OASIS (www.ongoasis.org) which develops every year medical projects in some of the most depressed areas of the Gulf of Guinea in Africa.

More than 80 exhibitions in Galleries and Museums in Spain, England, Nicaragua, Colombia, China, México, Germany, Dubai, Moscow, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, India, Italia...

More than 50 International Awards and Recognitions: POYLatam, Life Press Foto, Pablo Hojas Photo Award, La Grande Photo, Palm Springs Photo Festival, OASIS Photo Awards, Fine Art Photography Awards, Nikonians Photo Awards, All About Photo, Onyx, IPOTY, Xativa´s International Photography Contest, Siena International Photo Awards, Moscow International Foto Awards, Rivne Photo Arts Cup, Odessa/Batumi Photo Days, Tokyo International Foto Awards, Direct Look, PhotogrVphy Grant, HIPA, Indian Photo Festival, Photo Nikon Pro, III Documentary Photography Days, , Humanity Photo Awards UNESCO/CFPA, Felix Schoeller, II Photojournalism Biennial, CFC Medal, GEA Photowords, REVELA, FIAP & CEF Medal, Latin-American Documentary Photo Award…

Now he is based in Nicaragua and free for worldwide assignments.

Awards Founds/Chairs “Nostromo” Photo-Association. University Photo Professor (+15y): UC (Esp), UAM, UCA and URACCAN (Nic)… Publisher Xplorer Magazine (Nic). Free-lance photographer for International News Agencies. General Manager Xtreme PWS (Burkina Faso). Publish reportages in international media. Founder/President OASIS NGO. +80 exhibitions. Awards: Xativa, SIPA, MIFA, Rivne, Odessa/Batumi, TIFA, DirectLook, HIPA, IPF, PhotoNikon, Documentary PhotoDays, POYLatam, UNESCO, Photojournalism Biennial, CFC Medal, GEA Photowords, REVELA, FIAP & CEF Medal, Latin-American Documentary Photo Award…