Exposure : portrait of a Corporate Crime
Raghu Rai
Magnum Photos
One night in December, 1984, a lethal gas leaked from the Union Carbide/DOW factory in Bhopal (India), killed 8,000 people within days and injured half a million. Since then, thousands more have died a slow death, and 150,000 are chronically ill. The impact of that event continues to destroy lives. Today, many second-generation, and an ever-increasing number of third-generation, victims are living a life which has become an unending disaster.
Preview
The gas inhaled that day 18 years ago continues to corrode their vital organs and makes it nearly impossible for them to lead a normal life. UC/DOW criminality and government apathy to the issue compounds the tragedy of the largest disaster in the world.
World-renowned photographer Raghu Rai was on the scene the next day, and photographed the child being buried and thereby made the iconic image which continues to elicit very strong reactions. He revisited Bhopal and shot extensively the ongoing disaster in the lives of newborn victims and their parents and captured it all. The result is a unique collection of pictures that tell the story of the survivors’ struggle for justice in the face of ill health, economic ruin, governmental indifference and corporate irresponsibility. Greenpeace showcased this travelling exhibition dedicated to the global fight against corporate crime.
Exhibition presented with support from Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication.