Background information, content
"Nick BRANDT portrays humans and animals - not as opposites, but as equal creatures. In his global series 'The Day May Break,' the impression is that they are all trying to find their way in a new world. A series of tragedies have brought them to the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary in Bolivia. Victims of habitat destruction or wildlife trafficking, the animals have found refuge here but cannot be reintroduced to the wild. Extreme weather events and flooding have destroyed their livelihoods. In the portraits, they come together; in their shared fate, a sense of deep connection emerges. The artificial fog is the unifying element, a symbol of the natural world that is disappearing from our view with increasing speed; an echo of the smoke from the forest fires that, fueled by climate change, are ravaging large parts of the planet. Despite their loss, these people and animals are survivors. They are pioneers, already entering the new phase our world has reached. In 'The Day May Break,' they tell their stories." (© Hatje Cantz, 2023)