Ephemeral City

• Prize
• Photographer
  Selma Fernandez Richter, United States
• Studio
  Selma Fernandez Photography

The Maha Kumbh Mela, is a massive 55-day religious gathering held every 12 years at the confluence of India´s holy rivers: the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. The Khumbh is believed to have taken place for thousands of years and now draws nearly 100 million pilgrims from around India. This transitory religious city, built in the bed of the Ganges River during low season, offers the masses basic infrastructure and amenities--electricity, toilets, floating bridges across the rivers, and an organized street grid with traffic control. It is considered the cleanest city in the country, with the best sanitation and access to social services.

This work is the result of my daily walks and encounters with the inhabitants of this temporary city. Pilgrims from throughout the country, of all ages and castes, speaking dozens of languages, come together to form this unique community. With the exception of the most auspicious days, when millions of additional people come, there is a flow and routine to life in this bustling metropolis. When the time comes, it is all deconstructed. The monsoon waters rise again, leaving no trace.

• Awards
  Forca Noreste Artist Residency in Minneapolis, Minnesota. November 2011. Salón de la Fotografia Nuevo León, Honorable Mention, Center for the Arts-Conarte, Monterrey, México, February 2012 Salón de la Fotografía Nuevo León, Acquisition Prize, Center for the Arts-Conarte, Monterrey, Mexico, September 2003