Louie Palu The Fighting Season

May 7–31,  2011

The Fighting Season is an in-depth retrospective of the five years Palu spent photographing the conflict in southern Afghanistan. Published worldwide, this is the first time these images—from this extensive award-winning archive—will be publicly exhibited. The exhibition includes audiovisual pieces, as well as excerpts from Palu’s diary documenting his time on the front lines. This work is part of one of the largest visual archives of Canadians at war in Afghanistan.

Louie Palu, a Canadian documentary and photographer, examines socio-political issues such as war in his work. For over 30 years, he has explored human rights conflicts, poverty and strife, both nationally and globally. Born in Canada to Italian immigrant parents who witnessed the violence of the Second World War, Palu grew up hearing their stories of trauma and poverty, later shaping his voice as a documentary photographer. Throughout his career, Palu has created twelve series that examine the humanity within conflict, affording his subjects agency while challenging stereotypes associated with conflict photography. His work also draws on the tension between the photograph as a document and as an art object.