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The American photographer Richard Sharum casts an eye over areas of American society where the myth of the 'American Dream' is beginning to crumble. Avoiding typical clichés, his black-and-white photographs are depicting individual realities of life, filled with vulnerability, resistance, and silent dignity. His imagery is quiet and accessible, without being idealising or exposing - always characterised by respectful attentiveness to the people he photographs.
For the series Spina Americana, Sharum traveled along the 100 miles wide North-South Corridor between Canada and Mexico, the so-called Flyover States. He was looking for common ground in an increasingly polarised society, meeting agricultural communities, migrant workers, religious groups, families, and loners. He witnessed daily rituals, conversations on verandas, brittle hopes, and holding on to dignity, even if there is hardly any perspective. He created a multilayered portrait of an often-overlooked region, raising fundamental questions regarding solidarity and the rift in society.
In American Homicide, Sharum focuses on the omnipresence of violent crimes in the USA. For three years he accompanied a homicide squad, documenting the victims' and culprits' realities of life. He visited several prisons to illustrate biographies instead of simply reinforcing stereotypes. His photographs are illustrating the silent aftermath of crimes: exhaustion, grief, and the deep cuts violence leaves in families and communities.
American Avenue follows families without a home, whose children are still going to school every day. Sharum documents temporary sleeping arrangements, night shelters, and fleeting moments of security. Increasing rents and the lack of affordable flats reveal that homelessness is a structural problem. The photographs are telling stories of great vulnerability, but also of incredible strength and trying to keep up ones dignity and hope.
In the Shadow of the American Dream examines the self-image of a country and opens our view to an American reality far away from the big tales. Topics like social inequality, precarious living, and social solidarity are becoming increasingly important even beyond the American borders.
Richard Sharum was born in Texas in 1978, an autodidact mainly working on long-term documentary projects dealing with social realities of life in the United States of America. His work has been exhibited internationally and published in renowned media.Today he is based in New York State.
Opening: Saturday, June 6, 2026, 7 p.m.
Curated by Daniela Yvonne Baumann
