Diego Ibarra Sánchez, Co-founder of MeMo Coop, is a documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Lebanon.

Diego assumes a very critical stance regarding the use of images in our own society, defining this historical moment as «lobotomized era of “tourism” on the other’s pain»: in his work he endeavors to ensure that photography is no longer merely a window allowing a view on what happens in the world, but becomes a means to raise questions and generate reflections. Diego Ibarra Sánchez’ gaze goes beyond the frontline, documenting and showing us all that is left behind after the bombings, the killings and the battles: the humanity that has nothing left beyond its life.

His workes have been published on several newspapers and journals, such as The New York Times, Der Spiegel, Revista 5W, Al Jazeera, Diari ARA, UNHCR, UNICEF.

Upon returning to Spain he worked for two years for the Catalan newspaper Avui, while still continuing his own photography projects. In 2009 Diego decided to move to Pakistan where he developed a strong visual body of work focused on Pakistan. At the same time, he continued traveling to several other countries including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Libya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. He left Pakistan in 2014 and he is currently based in Lebanon while he keeps traveling and working on his projects around the Middle East.

Recently awarded with the prestigious “Best Pictures”award by The New York Times, the author will show to the public two works of extraordinary interest and evocative strength: “Yazidi Legacy”, on the recent genocide of the Yazidis in northern Iraq, and “The Phoenician Collapse”, on the Covid-19 outbreak and the following lockdown and socio-political crisis in Lebanon.

The author, while waiting to visit us in Padua during the International Photojournalism Festival 2021, will virtually meet the public answering your questions live!

The talk is free and will be hosted on Facebook on our IMP Festival – International Month of Photojournalism page.