In 2012 photographer and filmmaker Richard Mosse began photographing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, embedding himself with rebel and military groups to document the toll of the country’s seemingly endless cycle of warfare. For this project, titled Infra, he chose to use Aerochrome, a film originally produced for the military and sensitive to the infrared portion of the spectrum which is otherwise invisible to the human eye. The film was designed to aid in the detection of camouflaged encampments in forested areas by rendering vegetation in intense red and pink hues. Mosse’s use of a film designed to reveal the unseen was an inspired choice to document a humanitarian crisis that was, and still is, largely invisible to the world at large.

Remain in Light is an exemplary image from this series and explores the tension between the violence that has torn the country asunder and the extreme beauty of the verdant landscape that has been the theater for the conflict. Mosse’s work maintains a unique position between reportage and art, employing aspects of both to deliver a hybrid and highly effective visual experience.