Three powerful photographs by documentary photographer Rich Wiles and collaborator Ruba al-Hindawi, a Syrian refugee, have been installed on three prominent billboards in Shipley as part of Open Out, our year-long programme bringing innovative contemporary photography to the streets of Bradford.

On view for two weeks only, this is a unique opportunity to see these compelling photographs at an impactful large scale.

The three photographs are selected from the exhibition In Which Language Do We Dream? first premiered at Impressions Gallery in summer 2021.

Passers-by can use smartphones to activate QR codes displayed on the billboards, taking them to a digital pr­esentation of a specially published newspaper which features some of the al-Hindawi family’s personal stories through the photographs of Ruba and her children Mustapha, Yazan and Hanan.

Rich Wiles says, “The collaborative way in which Ruba and I worked together attempts to challenge power structures that can be inherent in some photography projects. This collaboration offers viewers an intimate window into the lives of displaced people rebuilding their lives, and contrasts with misrepresentations often portrayed in the media. We all believe this work needs to be seen and its ideas discussed as widely as possible. It’s thanks to Impressions Gallery through its Open Out programme that these photographs will be seen by thousands of people on a daily basis.”

The billboards are on view at Bradford Road, Shipley, BD18 3DE until 15 February 2022.

Thanks to ArtFund for supporting Open Out through their ‘Respond and Reimagine’ funding, which has allowed us to respond to the new challenges presented by Covid-19.

Images: Open Out: In Which Language Do We Dream? photographs of billboards by Karol Wyszynski courtesy Impressions Gallery