​Raised in Indiana, photographer Chelsea Nix met her Argentinian husband, Mariano Cortez, in Calcutta, India in 2012. Nix and Cortez, a husband and wife photography team, specialize in travel photography. They have been recognized and published by National Geographic in 2016, 2017, and received an award in the International Travel Photographer of the Year 2017. They will be exhibiting a series of photographs titled “THE STRING PROJECT” at The Devos Place for ArtPrize 10. “THE STRING PROJECT” began in January 2018 and features photographs from Africa, Europe, Asia, North and Latin America. The couple’s focus has been on creating a project that connects the viewer to the image in a more tangible way, bringing the photograph to life. In “THE STRING PROJECT” all of the people hold the same simple string, "a visible representation symbolizing an invisible connection." When exhibited, all the photos look like they are linked together by a string. Nix and Cortez believe that "we are all connected" and wanted to demonstrate that through a social art piece. "We are all part of this world: we love, we suffer, these are all things that we have in common, that connect us. The physical string visually represents a connection that cannot be see with the naked eye. The project is a reminder that highlights some of the most valuable things in life: respect, hope, peace, compassion, love, empathy, integrity,... authentic and genuine interactions that humans crave, ” said Cortez. Working on “THE STRING PROJECT” has taken Nix and Cortez to places they never thought they would go, exploring different jobs, lifestyles, and forms of hospitality. “We feel that besides our cultural and physical differences there are essential things that are similar in all human beings that connect us and make us more similar than we think," said Nix. The exhibition will comprise of a collection of 40 printed photographs, featuring locals from Grand Rapids and hundreds of portraits from around the world. The string helps the viewer connect to all the different people, making the variety of lifestyles and cultures more relatable.

Entry Details Art form: 2-D

Depth: 1/2 inch

Medium: digital photography

Width: 36 inches

Year created: 2018

Height: 24 inches

About THE STRING PROJECT

THE STRING PROJECT by Chelsea Nix & Mariano Cortez | ​www.thestringproject.org ArtPrize 10 Entry | Two-Dimensional | Vote Code: 67899 Photographers Available: Monday - Friday 11am - 1pm | Weekends 3pm - 5pm Want YOUR photo to be on display in ArtPrize 10? Don't miss your opportunity to be a part of the interactive experience and have your portrait captured by the Nix/Cortez duo, with the chance for it to be added to the revolving slideshow in “THE STRING PROJECT” exhibit. Visit the couple during ArtPrize Monday - Friday 11:00am -1:00pm and weekends 3:00pm -5:00pm to participate.