WINNERS
Beyond The Void
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PhotographerHector Ruiz Cardenas, United States
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PrizeGold Winner in Life Style/Culture
Beyond the Void is an ongoing series of portraits made inside the mosh pits of death metal concerts, shot entirely on 35mm film across four countries. From the outside, the pit looks like chaos; inside, it is a space of fierce solidarity and belonging. When someone falls, everything stops, and no one moves on until that person is okay. I am a metalhead myself; I photograph from within, as a participant. Shooting film in these crowded, low-light, unpredictable rooms forces me to work the way the pit works: by instinct and trust. The project keeps growing, expanding to new countries.
