Edwynn Houk Gallery presents the US debut of The Anonymous Project presents Being There by Lee Shulman and Omar Victor Diop, the exhibition also features the world premiere of a short film that recontextualizes the series’ archival slides—now with Diop inserted—into a striking visual montage.
Being There is a bold and timely reimagining of 20th-century visual history. Conceived through a collaboration between British-French artist and filmmaker Lee Shulman—founder of The Anonymous Project, an expansive archive of mid-century amateur color photography—and Senegalese artist Omar Victor Diop, the series places Diop within original vernacular photographs, creating imagined yet believable scenes that invite viewers to reconsider who gets to be seen, remembered, and included.
This US debut is also a symbolic homecoming. Many of the original slides were taken in the United States, capturing family rituals, leisure moments, and the texture of daily life from the 1950s through the 1980s. Photography has long played a powerful role in both shaping and reflecting the American dream, especially through images made by everyday people, capturing joy, connection, and aspiration. Shulman’s placing of Diop inside these nostalgic moments expands their meaning with curiosity and grace. Diop doesn’t disrupt these images—he inhabits them, reclaiming space with poise, humor, and imagination.
The Anonymous Project presents Being There
Lee Shulman & Omar Victor Diop
April 22 – June 14, 2025
Saturday, April 26, 4–6pm | Artists in Attendance
Edwynn Houk Gallery
693 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10022
www.houkgallery.com
