Visualizing absence: Fostering compassion through photography

By Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch and Nancy Nuñez

Gustavo Germano, an Argentine photographer, explores themes of memory, empathy, and the enduring impact of state terrorism through his project "Ausencias" (Absences). 

This photographic series delves into the social and civic memory of victims of enforced disappearances during the dictatorships in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

The exhibition's structure is simple: photos are presented in pairs. Each pair includes an old, usually black-and-white photo of a victim of state terrorism posing with family or friends in a specific location. 

The second photo, taken over thirty years later in the same place by Germano, shows the family or friends of the disappeared person, highlighting their present absence.

"Ausencias" uses material from family albums to put faces to the universe of those who are no longer here—victims of systematic repression and forced disappearances during the military dictatorships of Argentina (1976-1984), Brazil (1964-1985), and Uruguay (1973-1984).

Germano explains, "From the dialogue between cherished moments of the past and today's awareness of what could not be, emerges the evidence of the thirty years that separate them" (Source: Página/12).

The project brings to light the brutal military violence that caused 30,000 disappearances, revealing the magnitude of the tragedy in the most cherished aspects of life: the everyday. 

The devastation of these absences continues to define the present, marked perpetually by the loss of loved ones. 

Memory and the dialogue between present and past 

"These are almost always photographs taken in joyful situations, contrasted with the current ones, which, although they lack the spontaneity and freshness of the originals," explains the photographer. 

"It carries a very strong symbolic weight, as they show how the present person has changed and how the absent person here might have changed." 

The power of this work lies in the constant dialogue between past and present, showing the changes in people and the environment over the years. The temporal factor is inherent in these stories, highlighting the dialogue between what is present and what is absent. 

Through this exhibition, images work with memory, raising awareness of brutality and making it "visible" in the realm of the everyday, the personal, and the small moments. 

Germano explains that these images invite viewers to connect with memory, drawing on their experiences and knowledge. This makes it challenging to predict how people will experience "Ausencias". 

"Through the particularities, I rescued the universality of those 30,000 absences"

Germano emphasizes that in selecting the images, he aimed for "diversity, both in the type of photographs and in the nature of the cases and stories so that the collection allows us to see the broad social, cultural, and political universe of the people who were victims of the dictatorship. 

The goal was to depict in just over a dozen stories the magnitude of the tragedy. "What makes these small everyday moments of ordinary people great is their ability to speak about history—both of individuals and society—and life." 

Let’s dive into some of the stories:

Eduardo Raúl Germano and his brothers

Eduardo Raúl Germano, aged 18, was kidnapped on December 17, 1976, in Rosario (Santa Fe, Argentina). His remains were identified in June 2014.  

The photo was taken in a photography studio near the Uruguay border while the family was on vacation. Argentine police required a passport photo of the children to cross the border. Reluctantly, their father agreed to a single photo against a white backdrop, from youngest to oldest. 

This photo, sealed and stapled, allowed the Germano family to pass customs. Today, it remains one of the few images the family has of all four siblings together.

Victorio José R. Erbetta and Elsa Raquel Díaz

Victorio José R. Erbetta was detained on August 16, 1976, in Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina, and his remains disappeared. Elsa Raquel Díaz was killed in a police operation on August 16, 1977, in Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Argentina.

In the photo, dated January 7, 1971, along the banks of the Espinillo stream, 20 kilometers from Paraná, Victorio José and Elsa are participating in a camp where political discussions take place. 

The negatives of this snapshot, taken by photographer Hugo Wild, remain hidden for years. In doing so, Wild's family prevented the material from falling into the hands of the military.

Germano's subsequent series, Distancias (Distances), Búsquedas (Searches), and Contradesaparecido (Counter-disappeared), continue Germano’s highly personal investigations into exiles, abductions, recoveries, and traumas as he advances in his construction of a “map” of enforced disappearance in Latin America.

Gustavo Germano’s Official Website

[Images from www.gustavogermano.com]