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Nicolas Silberfaden: Superheroes

Due to the current economic, social and cultural crisis in The United States of America today, I have decided to do a photographic project consisting of a series of studio portraits of superhero and celebrity impersonators that live and work in the city of Los Angeles. Most of them unemployed Americans, they decided to suit up with their costumes and hit the streets, animate parties and events in efforts to make ends meet. Making them pose in their costumes against a colorful backdrop, I ask them to manifest feelings of genuine sadness – honest emotions that are a consequence of our current times. The result is a somber, striking visual image that contradicts the iconic nature of strength and moral righteousness typical in American superhero and celebrity imagery. Creating the illusion that Superman does exist – that he too was fallible and affected by America’s downturn.

Nicolas Silberfaden
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06 Dec 2012 12:13:00
A beggar who lay at the side of a road pretending he had no legs was moved on by police who made him stand up and walk away. The man lay slumped on his front in Chengdu, in Sichuan Province, China, with his legs tucked under him, and his jeans stretched out to make it appear he had no legs. He is approached by a police officer, who bends down and talks to him for some moments. (Photo by Rex Features)

A beggar who lay at the side of a road pretending he had no legs was moved on by police who made him stand up and walk away. The man lay slumped on his front in Chengdu, in Sichuan Province, China, with his legs tucked under him, and his jeans stretched out to make it appear he had no legs. He is approached by a police officer, who bends down and talks to him for some moments. The officer then reaches out and helps the man to his feet before guiding him across the road. Chengdu is one of a number of cities where officials have tried to clamp down on begging. (Photo by Rex Features)
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29 Jul 2014 11:25:00
A light installation called “Run Beyond” by Angelo Bonello is seen on the launch day of the Light Festival at Battersea Power station on January 13, 2022 in London, England. Running from January 13 to February 27, the curated collection of installations includes work by six artists, with two displays making their UK exhibition debut. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

A light installation called “Run Beyond” by Angelo Bonello is seen on the launch day of the Light Festival at Battersea Power station on January 13, 2022 in London, England. Running from January 13 to February 27, the curated collection of installations includes work by six artists, with two displays making their UK exhibition debut. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
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22 Jan 2022 06:36:00
A string art picture made by artist Ani Abakumova in a workshop in the village of Romashkovo in Moscow Region, Russia on August 2, 2019. Ani Abakumova and her husband Andrei Abakumov create string art replicas of famous paintings. Andrei makes computer calculations that show patterns for future images, then Ani winds coloured strings around nails hammered around a plywood board. (Photo by Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS)

A string art picture made by artist Ani Abakumova in a workshop in the village of Romashkovo in Moscow Region, Russia on August 2, 2019. Ani Abakumova and her husband Andrei Abakumov create string art replicas of famous paintings. Andrei makes computer calculations that show patterns for future images, then Ani winds coloured strings around nails hammered around a plywood board. (Photo by Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS)
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04 Aug 2019 00:10:00
In his series “Ballerinas of Cairo”, photographer Mohamed Taher documents Egyptian dancers making the city streets their stage – pirouetting, leaping and posing their way through their country’s sprawling capital. The photos are, at first glance, stunning snapshots of a city’s vibrant culture in motion. But considering the dangers Egyptian women face for roaming these same streets on a daily basis, their impact is far deeper. Sexual harassment continues to present not just a possibility but a terrifying reality in present-day Egypt. A 2013 United Nations report calculated that 99.3 percent of women in the country have experienced sexual harassment on the streets, a problem that’s sparked initiatives giving women a way to fight back. The violence is rooted in an extreme conservative perspective encouraging women to stay in the home. (Photo by Mohamed Taher/Ballerinas of Cairo)

In his series “Ballerinas of Cairo”, photographer Mohamed Taher documents Egyptian dancers making the city streets their stage – pirouetting, leaping and posing their way through their country’s sprawling capital. The photos are, at first glance, stunning snapshots of a city’s vibrant culture in motion. (Photo by Mohamed Taher/Ballerinas of Cairo)
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17 Jan 2017 12:30:00
Myanmar revellers take part in celebrations on the fifth and last day marking Thingyan, a water festival which brings in the country's new year, in Yangon on April 16, 2016. The Buddhist festival of water pouring symbolizes spiritual cleansing and begin the new year free from worldly impurities with celebrants devoting the four days of Thingyan in merry making of water dousing until the eve of new year. (Photo by Romeo Gacad/AFP Photo)

Myanmar revellers take part in celebrations on the fifth and last day marking Thingyan, a water festival which brings in the country's new year, in Yangon on April 16, 2016. The Buddhist festival of water pouring symbolizes spiritual cleansing and begin the new year free from worldly impurities with celebrants devoting the four days of Thingyan in merry making of water dousing until the eve of new year. (Photo by Romeo Gacad/AFP Photo)
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17 Apr 2016 10:53:00
The Red Arrows make a flypast during the Trooping The Colour parade at Buckingham Palace, in London, Saturday, June 13, 2015. Hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial dress have marched in London in the annual Trooping the Color parade to mark the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The Trooping the Color tradition originates from preparations for battle, when flags were carried or "trooped" down the rank for soldiers to see. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

The Red Arrows make a flypast during the Trooping The Colour parade at Buckingham Palace, in London, Saturday, June 13, 2015. Hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial dress have marched in London in the annual Trooping the Color parade to mark the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The Trooping the Color tradition originates from preparations for battle, when flags were carried or "trooped" down the rank for soldiers to see. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

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17 Jun 2015 13:50:00
An Airbus 380 prepares to land after its demonstration flight during the closing day of the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, Sunday,  June 21, 2015. Some 300,000 aviation professionals and spectators are expected at this weekends Paris Air Show, coming from around the world to make business deals and see dramatic displays of aeronautic prowess and the latest air and space technology. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

An Airbus 380 prepares to land after its demonstration flight during the closing day of the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, Sunday, June 21, 2015. Some 300,000 aviation professionals and spectators are expected at this weekends Paris Air Show, coming from around the world to make business deals and see dramatic displays of aeronautic prowess and the latest air and space technology. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
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24 Jun 2015 18:01:00