Welcome to Camp America, Inside Guantanamo Bay

Photographer Debi Cornwall’s new exhibition at the Steven Kasher Gallery is a vivid and disorienting probe into Guantanamo Bay. The exhibition, Debi Cornwall: Welcome to Camp America, which will be on display from October 26- December 22 features 29 large-scale photographs as well as previously classified documents. Cornwall was granted access to visit and photograph the base on three separate occasions in 2014 and 2015.

The exhibition will feature three bodies of work from Cornwall. Gitmo at Home, Gitmo at Play depicts the lives of the prisoners and guards of Guantanamo. Gitmo on Sale is a series of photos featuring objects sold at Guantanamo’s gift shops depicting ‘the commodification of American military power through Gitmo’s gift-shop souvenirs.’ Beyond Gitmo is a series of portraits of former detainees who have been freed.

Smoke Break, Camp America, U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, 2014 (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Prayer Rug with Arrow to Mecca, Camp Echo
U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Debi Cornwall

Recreation Pen, Camp Echo, U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Debi Cornwall

Compliant Detainee Media Room, Camp 5, U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Debi Cornwall

Kiddie Pool, U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Debi Cornwall

Toddler Tee ($7.99). (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Debi Cornwall

Fidel Bobblehead ($20). (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Debi Cornwall

Djamel, Berber (Algeria) Held: 11 years, 11 months, 18 days. Cleared: October 9, 2008 & May 8, 2009. Released: December 4, 2013. Charges: never filed in U.S. Acquitted and exonerated at trial in Algeria. Looking homeward outside Algiers, 2015 (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Debi Cornwall

Hussein, Yemeni, at Midday Prayer (Slovakia) Held: 12 years, 6 months, 11 days. Cleared: January 12, 2009. Transferred to Slovakia: November 20, 2014. Charges: never filed, 2015 (Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York)

Debi Cornwall