The most important thing. Portraits of an escape

What is the one thing that is most important for you and that you would take if you suddenly had to fleefrom your home and your country? Although it may seem an unthinkable dilemma, that is the question that thousands of people are forced to answer every day.

Over the last three years, conflicts in Syria, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Mali have given rise to grave humanitarian crises. Persecution, generalised violence and the violation of human rights have led to more than 12 million individuals being forced to abandon their homes; a third of these have fled to other countries, thus becoming refugees.

The exhibition The most important thing. Portraits of an escape, organised by ”la Caixa” Foundation in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), features images by the photojournalist Brian Sokol that comprise a gaze at the life of such people. The main purpose of the show is to reflect on what is most important to all those who are forced to flee from their homes. The exhibition will be open to the public at CaixaForum Barcelona until 8 February 2015, after which it will travel to CaixaForum Madrid and CaixaForum Palma.