100 Hamilton Hall
River Claure is a Bolivian photographer and visual artist known for his meticulously crafted portraits and evocative landscapes. His work challenges dominant notions of cultural identity and examines the role of photographic images in shaping our perception of reality. His work has been exhibited in various platforms and institutions worldwide. In 2024, he presented his latest work at the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale, curated by Adriano Pedrosa.
Claure’s most recent project, MITA (2022-2024), was carried out in Llallagua, Uncia, and Catavi, former mining communities in the Bolivian Andes. Since the colonial period, these territories have been exploited in search of different minerals such as silver, tin, and zinc. After more than five hundred years in these places, the land has been exhausted, and now there are only the towns that were built around industry and the promises of modernity.
Claure started this project with his family history; both his grandfathers were miners in a silver mine in this region. They emigrated to the city in the early 70s, looking for better living conditions and fleeing the political conflicts of the time. He was born and raised in the city, like any other child influenced by global culture. With this project, he returned to these sites to think about the inherent relationship between nature and history. What happened in these places can be and is an analogy of the world to come. In that sense, the work becomes a purely speculative exercise. The images of this intentionally anachronistic project speculate about the end of the world, the memory family, and their colonial relationship with the land.
An endowment established in 1983 through the generosity of Nancy and Robin Hanes supports the Art Department's Visiting Artist Series. This important program brings both established and emerging artists to campus to discuss their work in public lectures and to offer individual critiques to our M.F.A. students. The Hanes Visiting Artist series greatly enriches both our academic programs and our outreach to the wider community. All lectures are free and open to the public.
A weeknight or daytime permit is now required after 5:00 pm on weekdays. No permit is required from 5:00 pm Friday through 7:30 am Monday. A $1.00 one-night pass is available in selected lots. More information can be found HERE.
Artist website:
https://riverclaure.net/
Departmental website:
https://go.unc.edu/claure
Contact: Martín Wannam,
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Image: River Claure, Pieta 2
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