Gabriel Rojas, Social Communication – Journalism professor, obtains XVII Regional Salon of Artists grant

The professor and professional photographer’s work was selected as the winner of the initiative, organized by the Ministry of Culture, in which 120 projects participated.

The Externadista obtained this recognition for his work “Guardián de Historia” (Guardian of History), a photo-book dedicated to the Egypt neighborhood and its resurgence through the Breaking Borders initiative, a tourist project in the area seeking to promote its streets and community renewal stories to national and foreign visitors and tourists.

“This work is born from the interest in learning and photographing communities, showing realities and transformation processes. In this case, a neighborhood very close to the city center but feeling isolated due to socioeconomic conditions and the violence and stigma it has experienced.  I am impressed by the Breaking Borders initiative, which means breaking barriers through community tourism,” says Rojas, who has visited the district since 2018 aiming to accompany the process and initiative and also, bringing students to live and support the Breaking Borders experience.

On the significance of this award for his career, the professor states he has opted for topics “that have nothing to do with what is in the news or what is fashionable. This is good because you do not have someone telling you what to do, nor do you have a deadline; the bad thing is that it is difficult to put them into circulation or exhibit them. In that sense, the recognition of the XVII Regional Salon of Artists, where I participated in the central region (Bogotá and Cundinamarca), is an incentive to put this work into circulation and reach more audiences. It fills me with joy because, in 2017, I also won (at that time a scholarship) in the XVI regional artists’ salons for Meta with a long-term work, and both works have in common the notion of memory and tradition.”

Gabriel Rojas is a photographer, graphic designer, and professor of the Photography course in the Language and Production area of the Externado School of Social Communication – Journalism. He was awarded by the World of Photography – WOOPHY for the work ‘What is news for you? He also obtained first place in IDPC’s Graphic Reporting for “A day in the life of the cultural heritage of Bogotá´ and the winner of the scholarship for independent publishing projects at the 45th National Salon of Artists.