‘A photograph allows us to really stare’: new Brussels exhibition documents modern human slavery, ahead of EU Parliament debate

A photography exhibition titled "Slavery: Stories of the Present" opened in Brussels, highlighting modern slavery and human trafficking. It features works by Lisa Kristine and Élise Blanchard, focusing on victims, particularly women and girls in rural Afghanistan. Kristine emphasizes photography's power to evoke empathy, contrasting it with abstract statistics. The exhibition coincides with European Parliament discussions on strategies against human trafficking, revealing that around 50 million people are enslaved globally, with significant numbers in the EU. Blanchard's portraits aim to showcase human dignity amidst the harsh realities of forced marriages due to economic pressures.