Sofia Aldinio
USA/Argentina
Battlefield
Disrespect and violence to women during the childbirth process in the hands of health care professionals has become so normalized and insidious, most professionals are completely unaware that their actions leave a long term imprint of trauma on their patients. Procedures without consent of the mother, verbal abuse, unnecessary C-sections and episiotomies are just a few examples of abusive treatment that impacts mothers and babies. Battlefield is a conceptual documentary work that highlights my personal scars and emotional journey as well as the journey of many friends and women around the globe that are continuing to suffer trauma from unnecessary and invasive procedures by modern healthcare practices.
A recent study reported that one in six women in the USA, especially women of color, have experienced maternal mistreatment from invasive practices. Obstetric violence is a human rights issue on a worldwide scale, yet it remains a relatively taboo subject.
As a documentary photographer, mother of two boys and a friend to dozens of mothers in my worldwide community, it became clear in my conversations with them that I need to tell this story.
My methodology combines traditional documentary techniques with an exploratory approach. I make self portraits and document fractions of my daily life that evoked the trauma. In revisiting hospitals and exploring the objects used by medical providers for birth, I hope to start a conversation on how these are being used and could be used. I aim to visually engage the viewer on the emotional journey that we, women, go through when unnecessary practices are forced on us by healthcare providers, imparting unresolved trauma on the mothers held in their care.
About Sofia
Sofia Aldinio is an Argentine-American documentary photographer and storyteller. She is currently based between Joshua Tree, United States and Baja California, Mexico, to work and live closely with the latino community. Her work is guided by themes such as immigration, climate change, and preserving natural and cultural heritage.
A large part of Sofia’s documentary work focuses on amplifying stories of immigrants and refugees arriving in the Northeast of the United States. She was awarded a grant through the Maine Art Commission to complete a project about refugees and the most precious object they carried with them. The project is still traveling as an exhibition throughout the state of Maine educating communities about their stories through their lens. For this project, she engaged with local businesses, the community, the city of Portland and non-profits. As an extension to this project and in tandem with the city of Portland, Sofia is currently developing a photography program to help immigrants discover what it means to belong in a foreign place.
Sofia is currently working on a project about how climate change is threatening traditions and ways of life in small communities living in Baja California that depend directly on natural resources to survive. The project will become an archival document for the communities she is documenting.
Sofia is also an advocate for the outdoors and has lived the past three years in a van with her family, traveling and experiencing North America at large. During this time she produced and hosted a podcast with her husband, a number of co-branded photo and video projects and was a speaker at a number of events around the country – all to inspire families to get outside.
She has worked for non-profits such as Learning Works, Maine Wabanaki REACH, the City of Portland, Maine and Maine Immigrants’ Rights, amongst others. Her work has been published and featured in LaNacion (Argentina), Social Documentary Network, Edge of Humanity Magazine, Portland Press Herald, Maine Today, Outside Magazine Online, Outdoorx4, Maine art Scene, Backcountry Magazine, Bon Appetit New Zealand, Empower Immigrant Woman, Outbound Collective, Backcountry Magazine, Food Network, The Wanaka Sun, Queenstown Magazine, NZ House & Garden, among others. Her commercial clients include Patagonia, Patagonia Provisions, Cole Hann, Sperry, Winterstick, amongst others.
She is a proud member of Women Photograph, Diversify Photo.