This weekend, an Instagram meet-up group will do something much more globally-conscious than discussing frames and filters. “Instagrammers for Nepal” is a fundraising exhibition consisting of donated Instagram photos, with all proceeds benefiting the Nepal Youth Foundation, the South China Morning Post reports.
The exhibition is spearheaded by art director and InstaMeet group organizer Elaine Li, whose Nepalese boyfriend was in Kathmandu when the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit, on April 25.
He was unharmed, but the event hit the Hong Kong native close to home, and prompted her to find a way to use her love of photography to help the shaken community (see Nepal’s Historic Cultural Landmarks Wiped Out in 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake).
The photographs in the show come from 18 of Li’s global network of InstaFriends. They were largely taken on smartphones and were all originally posted on the photo-sharing platform. The images depict scenes of Nepal’s rich and colorful life, culture, and scenery (see Nepal’s Burgeoning Street Art).
The Nepal Youth Foundation works to ensure impoverished Nepalese children receive education and healthcare. After the earthquake, the foundation began a disaster relief response program, which includes hospital support, emergency relief, a day care and learning center for children, and psychological support for survivors.
The organization also provides short and long-term housing solutions for families whose homes were destroyed in the quake and aftershocks (see Shigeru Ban to Build Shelters for Nepal Earthquake Survivors).
“Instagrammers for Nepal” is on view at Lightstage space, Hong Kong, from June 12-15, 2015.