What is OjoRojo?

OjoRojo was founded by a group of concerned photojournalists and photography teachers in 2016. Located in the center of Bogotá, OjoRojo has become an important reference point in the world of Colombian and Latin American photography: a training center where journalistic rigor is taught; the development of a personal vision is stimulated; and a space for exhibitions and gatherings with authors. At OjoRojo documentary photography is conceived as a tool that strengthens democracy and the free exchange of information, essential values for a more inclusive and peaceful society.

Why this campaign?

We have launched this Indiegogo campaign to help sustain our project and make needed improvements to our infrastructure. We appreciate any support, whether you can purchase one of the rewards we offer here or simply pass the word on to others who may be excited to support documentary photography in Colombia and Latin America in general.

Thanks to the voluntary work of our members and the participation of many photographers, educators and curators, we have maintained a robust schedule of activities for the last three years. With your help we can continue and expand upon the following activities.

What do we do?

Talks

To strengthen documentary practice and further a greater understanding of the social issues of our time,  we have hosted over 100 free, public projections of photographic works presented by accomplished Colombian and international photographers.

We also host free screenings of documentary films, and presentation by artists whose work incorporates photography.

One of the principal goals of OjoRojo Fábrica Visual is to promote works by women photographers and other groups traditionally underrepresented in the profession.

Exhibitions

We have maintained a cycle of exhibitions of the work of recognized and emerging photographers such as Tito Celis, Natalia Botero, Alejandra Parra,  Jorge Panchoaga, Gabriel Rojas, Viviana Peretti and others. We welcome proposals for exhibitions from the public and we emphasize work that does not require large economic investments to exhibit. The goal of these exhibitions is not only to display excellent projects that would otherwise not be accessible to Colombian audiences.

We consider OjoRojo a “Visual Factory” in the sense that,  in collaboration with our exhibitors, we constantly research local and alternative materials that enable us to exhibit work at a reasonable cost without sacrificing quality or the integrity of the work itself.

Workshops

We hold intensive workshops in documentary practice led by experienced practitioners and teachers of documentary photography.  We offer these workshops at reasonable prices and guarantee two full scholarships to each workshop. Workshops to date have focussed on documentary narrative,  street photography, the documentation of popular culture, and the role of gender in documentary practice.

Photo-shop & Photo-library

One of the primary functions of OjoRojo Fábrica Visual has been to promote the culture and industry of Colombian and Latin American photography and photobooks. We provide a platform where numerous authors offer their works for sale and where collectors or interested members of the public  can find titles otherwise unavailable in Colombia.

In addition, dozens of accomplished authors have donated their photobooks  as study material for public consultation, thus activating OjoRojo has a referential place for the development of photobook practices.

Internship program

We maintain a robust program of internships for students of the Minuto de Dios popular university.  

What do we need?

1. Pay rent

Our monthly costs have increased some 30% since we began the project three years ago.  

2. Lighting

Both for our exhibition space and our store we need to make modest investments in track and spot lighting to improve the viewability of the work on display.

3. Equipment

We use donated video projectors to project material on a screen during our talks.  Two of these projectors have now broken, and we need to purchase one of our own, with replacement bulbs. We also need a flat screen TV in order to broadcast the talks in our back room when we have an overflow crowd, as often happens. In addition, we have broadcast our talks via Facebook Live,  but to date we have recorded them from a cell phone. To enhance the professional quality of these broadcasts, and for other uses, we need a video camera on site.

4. Showcase

To make our photobook library more accessible to the public, we need to purchase a second-hand display cabinet with ample space to show over a hundred photobooks that have been donated to OjoRojo for public consultation.  

5. Shelving  

To accommodate our growing number of prints and products we need to expand our shelving space.  

What do you get for your donation,  besides the satisfaction of helping a worthy creative cause?

For this Indiegogo campaign, photographers, artists, and friends of OjoRojo have donated their books, prints and visual pieces to this effort. Please see the list of rewards to choose among photobooks, prints, and other interesting items.