TITLE: The Hidden Heroes - The Salt Workers from Gujarat

Extreme exploitation and lawlessness characterize the lot of the Indian salt workers. It is a story about the lowest strata of the society in India. The struggle for survival leads them to the salt.

There are more than 100 000 Indian salt workers in Gujarat. The Agariya, as the salt workers are called, work under the most extreme conditions to finance their lives with salt, the "white gold". There is no protection. The workers are predominantly "Dalits", Casteless, untouchables and indigenous people. So the lowest layer of the population.
They are the reason why India produces about 16 million tons of salt a year, thus strengthening India economically. But the salt worker earn just enough to survive somehow. Everyday work is characterized by heat and hard physical exertion. People's will to survive is extremely strong.

AUTHOR: Joachim Bergauer (Austria)

The master-class photographer Joachim Bergauer was born on 12.07.1965 in Schwarzach (Salzburg). The entrance to the advertising industry was the result of the photography in his adolescence. The artist also gained journalistic experience while working at the austrian boulevard during his long lasting function as a press photographer.

In the 1990’s, Joachim Bergauer founded his establishment with two assistents. He’s specialised to image-, advertising-, report- and art-photography. Ever since, the salzburg citizen is commonly booked by various advertising agencies and magazines (New York Times, Spiegel, Profil, ...) in his home country and abroad too. World-famous celebrities from sport and media are also visiting his studio very often to get in the right light for upcoming successful pictures.

At the beginning of 2000, Bergauer founded in addition to his photography an advertising agency and ever since, he is cooperating with costumers like Atomic, Infineon, Volksbank Salzburg, Falkensteiner Hotels and Sparda Bank inter alia.

Bergauer holds lectures and workshops in Austria, Germany, Prague and Switzerland and led the "masterclass digital photography" in Salzburg. Exhibitions and a separate book "Live in the leprosy village" complete his area of ​​responsibility.

The artistic part is also not neglected and this is why Joachim Bergauer’s works are admired and favoured at exhibitions in Canada, France, Germany and Austria frequently.

Awards
2019 Photographer of the YEAR - Tokio International Photography Award
Trierenberg Super Circuit Gold Portrait 2017
PX3 Grand Prix France Winner 2017
Karl-Weiser-Award Austria 2016
FEP – European Photographer 2015
1st – Staatspreis Traumseher Category 'Advertisement' 2015
2nd – Traumseher Professional Photographer – Category 'Advertisement' 2015
1st – Traumseher Professional Photographer – Category 'Reportage' 2015
4 x Gold European Newspaper Award 2012 (PUR Magazin)
3 x Gold European Newspaper Award 2011 (PUR Magazin)
2nd – Traumseher Award 2010
2008 Award 1. Platz Photography
2008 Award 1. Platz Outdoor
2006 Award 3. Platz Werbekampagne
2006 Award 2. Platz Outdoor
2002 Award 2. Platz Webdesign
"S@lzburger of the Year" 2008
Worldwide Ambassador for Hasselblad 2006