Série - FotoSlovo 2026 - Category « Portrait »

In the dark streets, a light comes on. It is not the light of hope, nor that of progress. It is the cold light of

a police flashlight, shining on the face, the body, the life of those who already carry on their backs

the weight of suspicion. This light does not ask questions; it accuses. It invades, exposes, humiliates.

We are in the spotlight, seen as a threat simply for existing—walking down an alley,

sitting on the sidewalk, reading a book, or riding a motorcycle. People just like anyone else, but who,

simply for living in the slums, become suspects.

The beam of the flashlight is more than just a light. It represents the gaze of the State that judges, that persecutes,

that does not protect. It is the portrait of a violence that does not begin with the gunshot, but long before—in

the silence, in the constant fear of not returning home.

This series speaks of a reality that hurts. But it also speaks of resistance. Because even under

the light that hurts, there are eyes that stare back, that confront, that do not bow their heads. They are gazes that

say: “we are here.” And that denounce a system that chooses who can dream and who

must be watched.

The flashlight today may illuminate, but it also reveals how much change we still need.

It shows that, while some live with rights, others live under suspicion.

This work is a plea to be heard. It is a way of saying that the periphery no longer accepts being seen

only through the lens of violence. Because here, too, there is affection, culture, wisdom, and strength.