On the edge of the airport is the exhibition that will be held at the Gloria Fuertes Cultural Center within the framework of PHotoESPAÑA 2018.
Photographer Antonio Martín, with intellectual disabilities and member of Envera (Iberia Employees Association of Parents of People with Disabilities), has been taking pictures of the residents of the Alameda de Osuna neighborhood for more than twenty years.
The exhibition, curated by Mingote award winner Miguel Berrocal with the support of Iberia and the Madrid City Council, can be visited until August 26th.
Madrid | June 15, 2018
Antonio Martín "Michael" (Madrid, 1971) became fond of photography when his father gave him his first camera on a trip. From that day on, he collects images and many other moments he wishes to remember.
With its series On the edge of the airporthe presents a graphic memory of the Alameda de Osuna neighborhood, located on the edge of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport. For more than twenty years, he has portrayed his neighbors, friends and colleagues at the Envera Occupational Center, a non-profit organization founded by Iberia employees that cares for people with intellectual disabilities throughout their lives.
The association, whose motto is "We can all be the best at something", is celebrating its 40th anniversary. One of its missions is to raise awareness of the potential of people with intellectual disabilities and the richness of their artistic proposals. In the case of Antonio, his graphic work, his facet as a builder of wooden models and the fact that he is the only "terrevuelo" commander in the world: every hour thousands of planes take off and land but only he does it every day when, after listening to the control tower, he takes a run and "flies" to the bus that takes him to the Occupational Center.
Antonio Martín's photographs remind us that every artistic manifestation implies creativity, freedom and movement: therefore it can neither be pigeonholed nor labeled. His proposal, which also includes a short film ("Michael's Flight") and a musical piece ("Happy Success"), is an invitation to celebrate the richness of diversity.
Within the framework of PHotoESPAÑA 2018, Envera, Iberia and the Madrid City Council join forces to fight against ignorance and misunderstanding, inviting the public to observe carefully and challenge prejudices.
The exhibition can be seen until August 26 at the Gloria Fuertes Cultural Center in the capital.
