Exhibitions
'This is War': The photograph that reveals the face of conflicts in the Middle East
Manu Brabo, born in Zaragoza in 1981 and adopted by Gijón, is a renowned Spanish photojournalist specializing in conflict coverage. His courage and dedication to reporting in war zones earned him a place on the Associated Press team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography in 2013 for its coverage of the Syrian civil war, becoming the youngest photojournalist to receive this award.
The exhibition "This is War" is on display at the Barjola Museum until October 12, offering a unique look at the conflicts in the Middle East from 2011 to the present. Through a careful visual journey, the photojournalist shares his work, conceived as an exhibition project that goes beyond the simple documentation of events: it is an invitation to reflect on and understand the complex processes that have shaped the region over the last decade and a half.
Each image acts as a direct testimony to the reality of conflict zones, showing not only the violence and human suffering, but also the political, social, and cultural effects these events have left on society. The exhibition offers a space where viewers can pause, observe, and question, offering a starting point for addressing the many questions that still persist about war, reconstruction, and daily life amidst chaos.
Throughout the exhibition, it becomes clear how armed conflicts, political tensions, and social movements have shaped the region in the 21st century. This is War not only documents the recent history of the Middle East but also offers a reflection on humanity, resilience, and the search for meaning in the face of adversity. Each photograph, each story captured, becomes a key element in understanding the complexity of a world that continues to transform under the shadow of war.
“Understanding migration, hatred, anger, and the tragedy resulting from these conflicts helps us define what we want Western society to be like today, and especially that of our children. “The wars there,” as has become clear every day for years, have become our most important battles. How we want to fight them, what we want our future society to be like, depends on it,” he explains about This is War at the Barjola Museum in Gijón.
