Homecoming

Returning to Venezuela while everyone is leaving disorients the spirit. Since I left my country in September of 2017, 1.5 million people have migrated elsewhere propelled by their survival instinct. Homecoming speaks about the terrors that have so violently pushed Venezuelans towards the frontiers and reflects about those that remain struggling to preserve their dignity in these very dark times. Through the mediums of still images, video portraits and audio interviews, this project highlights the moments that find a way to remind us of the grace and promise that could outlast the all-around crisis.

The most extreme changes that have occurred during my year of absence crawl under the surface. This visual project plays with the notions of proximity and collective psyche: it is the inevitable result of my encounter with a radically different reality. I have been traveling to the rural areas to meet people in the most extreme living conditions, and I have been visiting family and friends in Caracas while trying to recognize the city I grew up in. Seeing everything up close, through digital photographs and diptychs, is a way of confronting and understanding the decline. Hearing the voices of the ones who are leaving the country accompanied by video portraits proves how stuck they felt in Venezuela and how slowly time passed for them.

But everything's not lost. Beyond the images of malnourished children and bloody violence that are already associated with this country, there is daily life and moments of quiet reflection that permit Venezuelans to continue living this continued dispute between corruptness and natural splendor. This strange contradiction is what Homecoming is about.

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - A parked vehicle in the middle of a road in rural town Patanemo, Venezuela, on August 9, 2018
i

A parked vehicle in the middle of a road in rural town Patanemo, Venezuela, on August 9, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - A man learns to shoot a hand gun in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 26, 2018
i

A man learns to shoot a hand gun in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 26, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - Liesl Hros Isler closes her eyes for a portrait in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 25, 2018
i

Liesl Hros Isler closes her eyes for a portrait in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 25, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - A bruise on Andrea Monsalve's belly in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 24, 2018
i

A bruise on Andrea Monsalve's belly in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 24, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - An electric fence for security purposes in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 23, 2018
i

An electric fence for security purposes in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 23, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - A house maid looks at the view in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 3, 2018
i

A house maid looks at the view in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 3, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - A gas refinery in Anzoategui, Venezuela, on August 15, 2018
i

A gas refinery in Anzoategui, Venezuela, on August 15, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - Spilt gasoline in a puddle in Maturin, Venezuela, August 14, 2018
i

Spilt gasoline in a puddle in Maturin, Venezuela, August 14, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - A cricket in a car in Maturin, Venezuela, August 15, 2018
i

A cricket in a car in Maturin, Venezuela, August 15, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - Image from the Homecoming photography project
i

Camila Hernandez yawns while resting in her home in Caracas, Venezuela, August 7, 2018 | A plantain tree on the ground in Patanemo, Venezuela, on August 8, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - A rusty door at a country estate in Maturin, Venezuela, on August 16, 2018
i

A rusty door at a country estate in Maturin, Venezuela, on August 16, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - The Simon Bolivar International Airport landing track in the rain in Maiquetia, Venezuela, on July 30, 2018
i

The Simon Bolivar International Airport landing track in the rain in Maiquetia, Venezuela, on July 30, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - Image from the Homecoming photography project
i

The Russian poses for a portrait in Patanemo, Venezuela, on August 10, 2018 | The sea from above near Sucre, Venezuela, on August 14, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - The Tamanaco Mall in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 1, 2018
i

The Tamanaco Mall in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 1, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - A figurine of the beatus Jose Gregorio Hernandez in a bar in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 8, 2018
i

A figurine of the beatus Jose Gregorio Hernandez in a bar in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 8, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - Ramona poses for a portrait in Maturin, Venezuela, on August 16, 2018
i

Ramona poses for a portrait in Maturin, Venezuela, on August 16, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - Flower petals in a pool in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 30, 2018
i

Flower petals in a pool in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 30, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - The limit between a high income neighborhood and a low income neighborhood in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 3, 2018
i

The limit between a high income neighborhood and a low income neighborhood in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 3, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - An old painting in a country estate in Maturin, Venezuela, on August 14, 2018
i

An old painting in a country estate in Maturin, Venezuela, on August 14, 2018

© Andrea Hernández Briceño - Sofia Hernandez on her eve of departure to Madrid for good in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 21, 2018
i

Sofia Hernandez on her eve of departure to Madrid for good in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 21, 2018

Latest Projects

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Stay in the loop


We will send you weekly news on contemporary photography. You can change your mind at any time. We will treat your data with respect. For more information please visit our privacy policy. By ticking here, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with them. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.