Roger Ballen’s unique artwork goes on display at the Portuguese Photography Centre, in Porto

The prison cells of the former Prison and Court of Appeal in Porto will host, between 10 July and 10 October, the original work by the New Yorker photographer Roger Ballen. Entrance is free.

Roger Ballen, whose oeuvre spans five decades, is most known for his work with his backgrounds and for creating distinctive and unique perspectives on life itself. He is also known to describe his work as “existential psychodramas that touch the subconscious mind and evoke the underbelly of the human condition”. Ballen devoted to documentary photograph, combined with film, installation, paintings and sculpture.

The scene is almost set at the Portuguese Photography Centre (cpf), where his exhibition themed “My Mind is a Cage” will be on display, for the first time in Portugal, alongside the author’s main series, performed between 1980 and 2020. It was especially prepared to showcase at the cpf , as the photographer’s old dream is to present his work in the prison cells of the former Prison and Court of Appeal of Porto, where the cpf is headquartered. Each cell will represent one aspect of his aesthetic vision, and it provides an immersive experience in the author’s work.

The exhibition is curated by Ângela Ferreira and features 50 images, videos and drawings by Roger Ballen that view the mind as a place, where the visitor will be guided to follow a path of analogies between images, light and darkness.

The exhibition is on display from 10 July to 10 October, at the Centro Português de Fotografia/Portuguese Photography Centre (Porto). Visits from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturday to Sunday, from 3 pm to 7 pm. Entrance is free.