Martin Holik is a documentary photographer based in Olomouc, the Czech Republic. He has worked on projects in Albania, Palestine, Guatemala and other countries around the world. Martin’s dedicated to documenting social issues and has been photographing Roma people in Eastern Slovakia for years. His work has been published in many magazines and exhibitions around the world and in his projects Martin cooperates with non-profit organizations. He is one of the founding members of the photographic organization “Noba.Collective.” Martin is currently studying at the Institute of Creative Photography of the Silesian University. Today we feature his series titled Volcán de Pacaya.
Volcán de Pacaya
“I am standing on the street in Antigua, this city lies only a few kilometres from the volcano Pacaya. A few days ago Pacaya volcano endanger the lives of ten thousand people. Pacaya woke up and after several years of sleep began spewing lava again. Near lying villages and cities were evacuated. People had to leave their homes and ran to hide in a safe. The situation today is calm again. Relatively calm. I can still feel the tension in the air. From the faces of local people you can see that it is not over. Never will. I can see it in the way how they look at me, how they speak to me. I’m just another “gringo”, tourist who is passing through. I can’t even imagine what these people go through. I try to understand, to see the situation through their eyes. Words are not enough.
I have to take pictures. Boys are playing with a rugby ball. I’m wondering where they were a week ago? Did they have to leave their homes? Awakened by the sound of sirens? I don’t know. They look happy. It’s a beautiful day, they can play, they have all they need. Yet.. I still feel tension. A few meters from them are tourists in the restaurant. They are having fun, enjoying drinks, probably no idea what’s happened a few days ago. Local people fascinate me, they look so serene, proud.”
To view more of Martin’s work please visit his website.