The Places We Live, signed

The year 2008 (the year the book came out) witnessed a major shift in the way people across the world live: For the first time in human history more people lived in cities than in rural areas. This triumph of the urban, however, did not entirely represent progress, as the number of people living in urban slums--often under abject conditions--passed one billion that same year.

From 2005 to 2007 Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen documented life in the slums of four different cities: Nairobi, Kenya; Mumbai, India; Caracas, Venezuela; and Jakarta, Indonesia. His lyrical images capture the diversity of personal histories and outlooks found in these dense neighborhoods that, despite commonly held assumptions, are not simply places of poverty and misery. Of course, slum residents continuously face enormous challenges, such as the lack of health care, sanitation and electricity.

Innovatively designed with 20 double gatefold images that unfold to configure the four walls of each individual's home, The Places We Live tells the story of the denizens within with unusual humanity. Through its inventive design and experiential approach, The Places We Live brings the modern-day Dickensian reality of these individuals into sharp focus.
This volume includes an introduction by American author and journalist Philip Gourevitch.

Published by Aperture (english edition)