The photo collection, “A Tourist of Saints” features a sampling of work by photojournalist Philip Holsinger and showcases photos from his trips to Haiti over the past six years.
After traveling to Haiti, Holsinger said he decided to share his journey through photos and journal excerpts in his book “A Tourist of Saints.”
“My hope is that the thousands of people who visit Haiti for mission work or aid work will buy the book because they have a little connection to Haiti,” Holsinger said. “I hope that once they start reading the book, they end up looking at their own life differently. That, to me, would be a success.”
After the show at Harding, Holsinger said he plans to show “A Tourist of Saints” in several other cities. To create a more interactive environment in the gallery, he included QR codes next to several photos, which link to sound clips of Haitian songs. Holsinger said that the added layer of sound brings viewers into the environment and allows them to forget about “Philip the photographer” for a moment.
More photos from “A Tourist of Saints” are also on display at Midnight Oil. Senior Leila Shelburne, an employee at Midnight Oil, said she appreciates the way Holsinger shows the poverty of circumstance without reducing the people’s dignity.
Holsinger first visited Haiti in 2006; since then he has traveled back with different aid organizations and mission groups. According to Holsinger, he has photographed and built relationships with people all over the island and after the earthquake in 2010, he helped with the relief efforts.
One of the challenges Holsinger said he faced was people’s aversion to being photographed. Some of the photos he captured were of people he had never met, while others were of people he formed deep relationships with, Holsinger said.
“Sometimes the relationship precedes the photograph, but then sometimes it follows after,” Holsinger said. “And sometimes there is no relationship. Either way I hope that it is an act of service.”
“A Tourist of Saints” will run through Oct. 5 in the Stevens Art Gallery.
