Slumdog Photographer of the Decade

Jonas Bendiksen, photographer for Magnum and creator of The Places We Live.

There are all kinds of places we as humans live.  We live in three bedroom homes, apartments and studios, closets in New York, caves in Turkey, sailboats and even teepees. At times, we also live on streets, cardboard mats and in scrapmetal sheds. The list can go on.

As we continue to grow as a community, more and more individuals are moving into cities for work opportunities. This makes these urban dwellings absolutely massive and many find themselves living in slums, high rise cement apartments or another form of alternative housing. Worldwide there are one billion people who live in urban slums, and that number will double in twenty five years according to the United Nations.

Jonas Bendiksen is a Norwegian photographer who shoots for the co-operative, Magnum Photo in New York City. In partnership with the Nobel Peace Center, Jonas shot photos of some of the largest urban and slum dwellings in our world today and made it interactive. Here are a few snapshots of what Jonas saw while he was traveling around the world.

Massive urban dwelling in South America. Most of these cities are around 15 million and will continue to grow.

Slum in Mumbai, India.

With no regular building codes, housing can be built just about anywhere. That doesn’t mean that it is still regulated by landlords and local gangs.

A few children enjoying some dancing in their home.

A man reflects under the bridge.

Children are still children wherever, though they lack access to basic needs as clean water and healthcare in the slums.

There are many ways on how to interact with “trash.”

A man looks to get somewhere through this path in a slum outside of Nairobi, Kenya.

A time of relaxation from the hustle and bustle of an urban dwelling in Jakarta, Indonesia.

A massive flat in Caracas, Venezuela.

There are many ways to live and one way isn’t right or wrong. As our world continues to grow in population, considering how we can assist those who live in urban dwellings today and how we can provide for those who will continue to come is a discussion that should be actively thought about.

For more information on “The Places We Live.” Check out the interactive website www.theplaceswelive.com

For Jonas most recent works, check out his website at  www.Jonasbendiksen.com