Photographer and journalist Nathalie Bertrams is dedicated to showcasing people and places that rarely make headlines through her powerful exhibition "Off the Map." The phrase captures her mission perfectly - to bring visibility to communities and stories that exist beyond the consciousness of mainstream media coverage.
"The places I photograph are naturally marked on maps, but very often they're not in people's awareness. These are more like side stages of the big news," Bertrams explains. Her work features large-format landscapes and compelling portraits from corners of the world far removed from major tourist destinations, including Ethiopia, Congo, Turkey, and Romania.
As a journalist, Bertrams reports on environmental damage, wildlife trafficking, and resource exploitation, but her primary focus remains on the human element. Her documentation captures intimate glimpses into lives often overlooked by international media. She has photographed the aftermath in an African village following the death of village teacher Maître Chou from Ebola, revealing how communities cope with devastating loss.
Among her most poignant work are portraits of young girls in Ethiopia who face early marriage, highlighting issues of child welfare and women's rights in remote regions. She has also documented the culture of the Lipovans, a Russian-speaking minority community living relatively hidden along the Danube Delta, preserving their unique traditions away from the modern world's gaze.
Through her photography, Bertrams aims to create connections across cultural divides. "I want visitors to find themselves in the living worlds of other people, to see and perhaps get a feeling for how other people in the world live. I always find that incredibly fascinating. That's why I do this," she says. Her approach invites viewers to look more closely and develop empathy for experiences vastly different from their own.
The exhibition runs until September 21 at the Old Slaughterhouse (Alter Schlachthof) in Eupen, with free admission for all visitors. A special cultural event is scheduled for September 20 at 4 PM, featuring musicians from "Brussels Cleaning Masters" who will improvise performances to migration-themed poetry by Mohamad Zahra, Bahadîn Akhan, and Mariia Kaziun, adding another layer of artistic interpretation to themes of displacement and cultural identity.
More information about the exhibition program is available on the Old Slaughterhouse website, while details about the award-winning photographer can be found on Nathalie Bertrams' official website.
