Humanity in War
Frontline Photography since 1860

3 March – 25 July 2010


HUMANITY IN WAR is a photographic record of warfare over the last 150 years. From the American Civil War to the conflicts of the early twenty-first century, the photographer has been a constant presence, preserving moments of courage, dignity, defiance and hope amidst pain and suffering. The exhibition also traces the evolution of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since its inception. Finally, it aspires to remind all of us of the importance of exercising humanity.

"Like the Red Cross, photography had its beginnings in the second half of the nineteenth century. The immediacy of the new medium enabled it to depict the nature of warfare as never before: its brutality and the suffering it inflicted, on both combatants and civilians."
Jakob Kellenberger, President, ICRC

This photo exhibition is enriched with video collations of images taken by five of the world's top war photographers, from the VII Photo agency, James Nachtwey, Ron Haviv, Christopher Morris, Franco Pagetti and Antonin Kratochvil. They depict the reality and brutality of armed conflict today, but they also show that even in the darkest hours of despair there is a sense of hope and pride.

"When people are suffering, it doesn't mean they don't express dignity. When people are afraid, it doesn't mean they lack courage. When people are in pain, it doesn't mean they don't have hope," said James Nachtwey.

The photos are all part of the ICRC's archive collection that contains more than 110,000 images.