Calle / Street Vendors
Su Tomesen documented the vibrant, informal economy in the public spaces of Medellín, Tirana, Johannesburg and Yogyakarta. Every day, street vendors in these cities appropriate the public space and survive with extraordinary inventiveness and resilience. The artist uses a ‘fly on the wall’ style and gets close to her subject through her involvement with the street traders. Gaining trust is an essential element in Tomesen’s work.
Street Vendors reveals the human capacity to creatively take control of public space. The similarities between the activities in these cities on four different continents are remarkable. Each film lasts 30 minutes and shows a day in the life of the street vendors portrayed. For Street View, these works are presented as duos: Calle (Colombia) and Jalan (Indonesia) on the corner of Markt/Nieuwstraat, Street (South Africa) and Rruga (Albania) in Entre Deux.