Massive Attack and photographer Giles Duley collaborate to show solidarity with refugees

Date
7 November 2016

UNHCR, The UN refugee agency, has released a video featuring photographer Giles Duley talking with Robert Del Naja, lead singer of Massive Attack, discussing their collaboration that marries the music of the band with Giles’ powerful images of refugees as they perform. Giles has documented the story of the ongoing refugee crisis across the Middle East and Europe.

“The collaboration goes back a long way. 25 years ago I lived in Bristol and Massive Attack had just released Blue Lines, I knew the band and wanted to work with them, but didn’t think I was ready at that point but kept in touch,” explains Giles. “Last year I rang Robert and said it was time to collaborate. I called him using Skype from the beach at Lesvos and described to him what I was seeing. He agreed that it was time to do something.”

Originally Giles’ documentary photos were projected onto the stage after the band had finished playing, but for the summer tour and headline shows the wanted to do something different. “I was in Lebanon and had been taking portraits – I thought that this was the perfect set of pictures. They weren’t dramatic or shocking, but showing the people who were affected by war. We wanted to create some visuals that worked with a track, the band agreed and we decided to work with Unfinished Sympathy,” explains Giles. “It’s a powerful marriage of music and images. I have always wanted to connect and tell these stories to different audiences beyond those that read newspapers. Hopefully this connects in a different way.”

“I was deeply moved by the pictures Giles was sending me. This felt important, this felt like an opportunity to tell a story which has probably been edited in places it shouldn’t be. It should just be told very directly and naturally,” says Robert. “We wanted to present Giles’ pictures in a way that was very honest.”

Having visited 14 countries in the last seven months, Giles is continuing his Legacy of War project that looks at the effects of conflict on civilians, and will continue to work with Massive Attack.

You can learn more about UNHCR here.

Above

© UNHCR/Giles Duley

Above

© UNHCR/Giles Duley

Above

© UNHCR/Giles Duley

Above

© UNHCR/Giles Duley

Share Article

About the Author

Owen Pritchard

Owen joined It’s Nice That as Editor in November of 2015 leading and overseeing all editorial content across online, print and the events programme, before leaving in early 2018.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.