© Jaime Permuth, 2025
Set in Guatemala, a country utterly torn-apart by violence, El Sistema is a photographic document of symphonic youth orchestras and how the fellowship and discipline of learning classical music brings hope, self-esteem and the joy of culture to the lives of thousands of children who so desperately need it.
I am thrilled that a selection of 25 images from the project will be on view in Seoul, Korea as part of the Suwon International Photo Festival.
“El Sistema” is particularly interested in how the turbulent political life of Guatemala collides with the didactic project and impacts the country’s youth. However, it is also a testament to the spiritual force of music and how its practice helps elevate humanity above its sometimes desperate condition, bringing hope and light to a broken-down society.
This work received its premiere in the 2014 edition of BAVIC the Bienal de Artes Visuales del Istmo Centroamericano (Guatemala) and will be on view until August 24. The installation features four photographic prints and one multimedia piece, which you can see below.
