PHOTOBRIDGE: Paris & New York City: explores the immigrant journey in two of the world’s great cities. Six student photographers from The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY‘s NYCity News Service and ENS Louis Lumiere in Paris collaborated with one another and Dysturb, a media advocacy organization with offices in both cities, to produce this exhibition. The project was funded by a generous TransAtlantic Mobily Grant through the US and French Embassies.

Communities of Dance

Whether a breakdancer from Senegal or a cast member of “The Lion King,” these dancers who left their home countries share two things: a love of dance and a need to connect with other dancers in the hope of building friendships and family. This project investigates how dancers in foreign cities create communities through their love of performing. – Zakiyyah Woods (Newmark)

Los Extrañamos

Using a hand-made “box camera,” the photographer produced a series of portraits of asylum seekers at a Brooklyn church, with an accompanying note written by each group. The portrait postcards were scanned onsite so each photo subject could mail them home to friends and family. – Antoine Bertron (ELL)

Between Two Stitches

This project showcases the world of a clothing collective in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. In this predominantly African neighborhood, design combines contemporary style with tradition. The photographer worked to capture the power of creative collaboration with “the precise business of needle and thread.” – Hannah-Kathryn Valles (Newmark)

Si loin, si proche/ So far, so near

Each year tens of thousands of students travel abroad to study. Their dorm rooms and apartments become temporary homes — sometimes for weeks, sometimes for years. This project explores the objects that students carry with them to maintain their connection to home. – Corinna Krannig (ELL)

Best Food Forward

New York City is home to one of the largest Italian diasporas in the world, and Italian culture has in many ways been assimilated into the culture of the city itself. But how do second and even third generation immigrants maintain a connection to their heritage? Traditional Italian cuisine is key. This photographer visited delis in the Bronx and in Queens, as well as the renowned Caffe Roma in Lower Manhattan, one of the city’s oldest Italian bakeries. – Rida Choubai (ELL)

(In)Visible Vandals

Their names are Bebar, Jomad, Andrew, and Sun.G, and their colorful works adorn the walls of the French capital. The works are considered art by some, vandalism by others. This project showcases the work of immigrants — or descendants of immigrants — who express themselves and the concerns of their communities through their work. – Christian Colón (Newmark)