Meet Rodrigo | Artist photographer & social entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rodrigo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rodrigo, what inspires you?
As a photographer, I am very inspired by society and its transformation, I like to see the economic, ecological, cultural and artistic movements set in motion and analyze how it can influence our own lives, our society, the future.

This inspires me to make photographic documentaries or to capture an original moment!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
To introduce myself I would say that I am a Colombian photographer, self-taught who tries to erase, to bill ideological, socio-cultural and economic borders. So I would say, that the medium of photography is a tool to inspire, build and transform, I am much more than a photographer.

Of course, I was able to win an international photojournalism prize for a report on my country of origin, Colombia, (the OFF of Visa pour l’image) I am affiliated by a large platform of sale of contemporary art (Artsper), I signed a collaboration with a gallery in Paris and a curator passed by the famous Perrotin gallery.

But what I remember is not necessarily the success but the way to get there, the difficulties and how to remedy them, especially the financial one, while keeping an ethic in order to surround oneself with good people and pass the right message

The message is, no matter where you come from, where you are, your beliefs, your experience, you can make a place for yourself and be a reference in your field with an authentic and professional attitude. That’s what I try to be.

I come from the slums of Colombia and 34 years later I am selling art to collectors all over the world! Who would have thought it, but me!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I hesitate between two literally different places. Coney Island and Medellin. But I would choose the city of Medellin more for its history and the transformation they have achieved! Did you know that this Colombian city is considered one of the most innovative and attractive cities in the world? They have bet on their communities in their working class neighborhoods, on transportation, on social and cultural innovation, keeping an artistic dimension, on tourist attraction and urban planning in order to create a new economy, new flows and therefore life, quite simply!

Walking in the city, going to meet its inhabitants, its projects and socio-cultural structures would be a good plan! Take it from Comuna 13, which could be the Colombian Wynwood, to have a drink at the Poblado, passing by the Botero Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. While crisscrossing its “green corridors”, he Green Corridors project received the 2019 Ashden Coolinlg by Nature Award and was praised by the United Nations Environment Program. “The Green Corridors project is an excellent example of how civil society, urban planners and government can rely on nature to develop a smart urban project!”

Medellin is, in my opinion, the showcase of Colombia and inspires so many cities around the world! Is the place to be, to visit!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would say that there are inspiring people in the Hip Hop scene, who started from nothing and are now in the top, they are creative, they have innovative ideas and drive other people.

I can even extend this example to the art world, I think of JR the artist, who is now one of the most famous in street art. He has developed a unique artistic field and state of mind that allows him now to even exhibit so-called “street art”, considered as contemporary art!

I would retain more the people or the companies which develop on a very social basis, while taking into account the economic environment in order to be anchored in districts, territories or countries and which impulse new and inspiring ideas.

I don’t necessarily have anyone who has helped me to have a better visibility or to bring me additional credit in the photography world. Honestly, I have to rely on myself! But if you have someone who wants to propel me even further! Introduce me!

Website: rodrigo.dreamvoyager.fr

Instagram: rodrigodvco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rodrigodvco/

Other: https://www.artsper.com/fr/artistes-contemporains/france/77973/rodrigo