sought to launch a project with Vietnamese veterans – something that has
haunted him for years.
Since the first time he set foot in Vietnam 13 years ago, he had
great respect for the brave country, with its tradition of fighting off
invaders and protecting its soil.
He came back to the
country to take photographs of the veterans, all from different military
ranks and different missions from different places, who contributed in
the successes of the resistances known throughout the nation. They are
all witnesses of the glorious history of Vietnam .
"The
idea to carry out the photo essay flashed in my mind from a previous
trip in 1997," he confessed. "It is an outstanding project for my
career, and I'm very satisfied with it."
The wars belong
to the past, but as time goes by, the veterans, all of them valuable
heritage to Vietnam and the world, will pass away. That's why he
wants to capture their images for the next generations.
"My intention was to produce this photo series as a tribute to all who
participated in the fight for the liberation of Vietnam , but with a
more humane approach," he added.
The images will tell much
more about the lives of the ex-combatants and Vietnamese customs
through the simple moments in their ordinary days, at home or at work.
Monaco photographed victims of Agent Orange, the toxic chemical used
by US troops during their war of aggression against Vietnam , which
still causes damage to the children and grandchildren of those soldiers.
This represents the first approach to the issue of
victims of Agent Orange, said Monaco , who has accumulated numerous
awards in national and international photo contests.
Monaco , who was born in Buenos Aires in 1957, won first place in
the national ranking of photography in the years from 1985-89.
He was part of a selection of 10 authors who represented Argentina in
the FIAP (International Federation for Photographic Artists) World Cup,
specialising in monochrome in 1989 in Belgium .
Also
in 1989 he was selected among the 27 best photographers in the world to
show their works in Germany to commemorate the 150th anniversary of
the invention of photography.
After his first trip to
Vietnam in 1999, he organised an exhibition entitled Vietnam – El
Gran Dragon Dorado ( Vietnam – The Great Golden Dragon), showcasing
his impressions of the country as a peaceful and friendly place.
It was the first photo exhibition on Vietnam in Argentina and also
the first exhibition to take place at the national parliament, the
Auditorium of the Chamber of Deputies, in Buenos Aires .
Monaco , who serves as Director of the National School of Photography
in Buenos Aires , plans to return to Vietnam to take more photos,
to enrich his collection and with the intention of publishing a book,
which, he said, would be a beautiful end to this artistic and
photographic research.
"This time Vietnam impressed me
once again thanks to its achievements in socio-economic development,"
he said. "I will come back because I still find inspiration in the
country."
Monaco has come home after a three-week trip
to Vietnam . He is preparing to display the fruits of his labour in
Argentina . All of the photos will be given captions and stories about
their characters to help visitors understand the Vietnamese soldiers.
The work is not easy and has taken up much of Monaco 's time. He says
the collection will be released on a special occasion.
The Vietnam News Agency Bureau in Argentina will follow up and bring news about the significant exposure./.
