A camera turned to the heart of UAE

Photograph of Ortega to be displayed at the exhibition

One of Mexico's most prolific photographers and videographers is turning his lens towards the UAE in an effort to show his country the beauty of the Emirates and its culture.
Award-winning Salvador Ortega is well known throughout Mexico and Latin America for the photographs he has taken over several decades, as well as his work as a director and videographer in show business. 
Speaking to Khaleej Times ahead of an upcoming visit to the UAE - where he will be showcasing his photographs at the Mexican embassy's National Day celebrations - Ortega said that he plans to explore everything the UAE has to offer. With the photographs he takes during his visit here, he plans to hold an exhibition in Mexico entitled "Inside the heart of the United Arab Emirates".
"I don't remember ever having traveled without a camera," he said. "The (upcoming) exhibit will be made up of 200 large-format photographs after I travel throughout the seven emirates and explore the corners that are most representative of Arab culture. 
"I will return to Mexico and, through my work, share with my people the mysteries of the desert, the beauty of its mosques, and the grandeur of the impressive designs and architecture that can be seen here," Ortega added.
After showcasing his UAE photographs in Mexico, Ortega noted that he plans to take the show to "some of the most visited venues in the world's most important cities".
While in the UAE, Ortega will be showing pictures of Mexico and Mexican culture at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace on September 19, at an event marking Mexico's National Day (September 16).
"This is part of the intercultural exchange between the two countries that is being promoted by Mexico's Ambassador to the UAE, Francisca Mendez, and the UAE's Ambassador to Mexico, Ahmed Almenhali," he explained.
Ortega added that he hopes the photographs shed light on Mexico and its culture and people, which inspire much of his work. 
"What attracts me most about Mexico, is its light, the way in which it enchants visitors with its contrasts and its vivid colours, the great variety of its cuisine, the freedom that one feels, and, above all, the heart of Mexicans and their millenarian culture," he noted. "I am passionate about Mexico's pre-Hispanic roots.
"The message I want to express through my work is to show Mexicans living abroad the beautiful country we have, and that we should be proud to invite anyone from these lands (the UAE)," he said. "We should turn tourists who visit friends. 
"I believe that everyone is born with a goal. It doesn't matter where you were born, who your parents were, or where you studied. We all have a very powerful charge of energy," he said. "Destiny puts everything you want in your hands so that the things that you have in your imagination come to you so that you can pursue what you love."
"I have many passions, and one of them is photography. As a very little boy, I found a small black box in my father's closet that could capture images. That fascinated me."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE
• Dubai

Bernd Debusmann Jr.

bernd@khaleejtimes.com