Dread and Dreams

Afghan-born photographer Zalmai was forced to flee to Switzerland at the age of 15 after the 1980 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. As a freelance photographer, Zalmai has spent years capturing the human cost of war around the world and in his home country, Afghanistan, where he also sees signs of hope. Dread and Dreams brings together photographs Zalmai made between 2008 and 2013 against the backdrop of the 14-year US-led invasion of Afghanistan that culminated in 2014 with the withdrawal of American troops.The book presents two contrasting bodies of work. Zalmai's epic duotone photographs reveal the stark reality of life in Afghanistan for the millions of Afghan refugees who have returned to their country since 2002, only to find they cannot go back to their homes. They are instead forced to live in squalid conditions in makeshift refugee camps and urban slums where most live on the brink of survival, and many take refuge in drugs. In counterpoint to this series, Zalmai presents sun-tinged color photographs that reflect the hopes and dreams of the Afghan people. Here, Zalmai takes us away from the monumental humanitarian crisis wrought by war to reveal signs of positive life force permeating his country.Empathetic, indignant but still optimistic, Zalmai's photographs draw attention to Afghanistan's ongoing struggle, that has largely left the headlines, by focusing on the Afghan people and their lived experience of war, insecurity, chronic governmental mismanagement, corruption in a huge scale and international negligence.