#photography #critical practice #society #technology #politics #research #Anthropocene #interdisciplinary
The Studio of Photography and Critical Practice was founded in 2022 as part of the photography studies within the Department of Photography and New Media at the Academy of Fine Art and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia
www.vsvu.sk
A few words about critical practice and photography today.
To grasp the meaning of the term critical practice in the context of the photographic medium we in the studio will analyse the impact of contemporary photography on the society, on the current discourse in relation to the act of seeing and the seen, on its investigative position and on ethics of photography. Photography today plays a key role in the everyday social production as well as reproduction of individuality and life around us, photography is not only used as a visual language, but is becoming a kind of visual currency of the present. (term adopted from the current exhibition called ´Currency´, Triennale der Photographie Hamburg, 2022 – curator: Koyo Kouoh).
As producers and consumers of photographic images we realize, that this border in the current digitalized society is hardly recognizable in everyday life. Our perception of the society is therefore directly influenced by image and visual codes, which we receive or produce through a photographic medium. The term ´critical practice´ actively and passively connects a creative role of photography with its investigative and ethical function. Critical practice interconnects in itself a photographic image with activism, analysis and discussion regarding the socio-political situation around us and thus opens up new space for perceiving photography, which is not only pictorial, but it also interconnects the creative with the political /image with word/ photograph with message/opinion/slogan… . Critical practice in the context of the photographic medium is an indispensable part of the current development of photography within the visual arts.
In the present a photographic medium cannot be perceived without technology. The concept of the studio will not directly analyse technological possibilities of a photographic medium, but it will actively employ them in its methodological approach of teaching. It the studio we will analyse new horizons of photography, critical practice, interdisciplinarity in artistic research. What conventions shall we leave behind to push the photographic practice and medium beyond the set limits? We will be interested, which role the current political, historic or societal situation plays on the analysis of the photographic medium. The core of the studio concept is to use photography, discussions, seminars and visual research for active discussions and for arousing interest in the political and social role of the photography. The emphasis will be placed on the photographic medium but at the same time projects and their extension will be supported to achieve further artistic and creative features. Students will be guided to leave the photographic medium to push its limits and thus to become a part of the global discourse on photography and new photographic strategies. The emphasis will be put on comprehensive education and understanding of photography to make students develop themselves independently and implement a research and artistic strategy within their artistic photographic work in the context of the relation between photography and critical practice. They will be guided to critically discuss their work, work of their colleagues and be able of critical self-reflection. Lectures will cover discussions bound to the political, history, sociology, anthropology, psychology, aesthetics etc. which will introduce to students a new view and perspective on their projects, as well as on photography itself.
collection of data and inspirational source
The study of photography in The Studio of Photography and Critical Practice means that students form their own opinions on the world through the photographic medium and are not afraid to experiment in the content, technological level of the image and are open and study topics which they relate to.
The study of photography in The Studio of Photography and Critical Practice will guide students in their systematic study through the visual research, work with text, engagement in social discussions and experimentation with technological image. The study of photography is to encourage students to create their own artistic style, and help them embrace the ´fluid´ multifacetedness of the photographic medium.
The Studio of Photography and Critical Practice is open space, a platform for exploration and discussion- for developing artistic strategies and inner (individual and creative) motivation of students. Within the program structure of the studio, we will collaborate with other schools and institutions at home and abroad.
The Studio of Photography and Critical Practice actively participate in grants available. The studio´s projects will help develop and introduce complex studies of themes, external specialists and public presentations of the studio (exhibitions).
The Studio of Photography and Critical Practice in its program will address aspects of the political imaginary, with a particular focus on critical thinking through artistic practice involving visual literacy, the rhetorical dynamics of knowledge conflict and violence, environmental issues and theories within contemporary art, the position and development of contemporary photography, decolonial practices, minorities, gender studies, and gender identities; history, and politics.we will visually analyse current algorithms and data in connection with a photographic medium. Together we will discuss these topics and also introduce socially important topics, which students are interested in. Mutual dialogue is one of the pillars of the studio.
Working on artistic reserach, making sketches, writing notes, listenings to the music, exploring life around us... is great part of our artistic statements and semestral works
Students of the Studio of Photography and Critical Practice are active, curious, open to cooperation, and eager to work on their artistic projects. They welcome unexpected inputs and innovations in the photographic image. Together, we believe and strive to shift the perception of the photographic image and the photographic medium, not only in the Slovak context but also on the international stage. We embrace great challenges and actively participate in them.
photo credit: Tim Topić
Literature:
We love books and read a lot. Our library is full of new great books that helps us to develop our ideas and knowledge.
The list of literature that will be gradually analyzed and discussed in the context of the various topics within the concept and program description of the Studio of Photography and Critical Practice.
~list is regularly updated~l
Azoulay, A., 2008, The Civil Contract of Photography, Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press
Azoulay, A., 2012, Civil Imagination: A Political Ontology of Photography, London: Verso
Azoulay, A., 2019, Potential History: Unlearning Imperialism, London: Verso
Balsom & Peleg (eds.), 2016 Documentary Across Disciplines Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press
Batchen, G. et al (eds.) 2012, Picturing Atrocity: Photography in Crisis London: Reaktion
Bate, D., 2015, Art Photography London: Tate
Beshty W., (ed.) 2018, Picture Industry: A Provisional History of the Technical Image (1844- 2018) Bard and Luma
Blight, D., 2019, The Image of Whiteness: Contemporary Photography and Racialization, Self Publish, Be Happy
Bogre, M., 2019, Documentary Photography: Reconsidered History, Theory and Practice London: Bloomsbury
Burbridge, B., 2020, Photography After Capitalism London: Verso
Coleman, K. and James, D. (eds.), 2021 Capitalism and the Camera: Essays on Photography and Extraction London: Verso
Costello and Iversen, M. (eds.) 2010, Photography After Conceptual Art, London: Wiley Blackwell
Costello and Willsdon, (eds.) 2008, The Life and Death of Images: Ethics and Aesthetics London: Tate
Cramerotti, A. 2010, Aesthetic Journalism: How to inform without informing London: Intellect
Demos, TJ. 2013, The Migrant Image: The Art and Politics of Documentary During Global Crisis Duke UP
Dewdney, A. 2021 Forget Photography MIT Press
Dewdney, A and Sluis, K eds 2022 The Networked Image in Post-Digital Culture, Routledge
Dvořák, T. and Parikka, J., 2021, Photography Off the Scale Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP
Edwards, S., 2004. “Photography Out of Conceptual Art”. In: G. Perry and P. Wood eds. Themes in Contemporary Art. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, pp 137- 180.
Elkins, J. (ed.) 2007, Photography Theory London, Cork: Routledge, CUP
Emerling, J. 2012, Photography: History and Theory London: Routledge
Flusser, V. 2011, Into the Universe of Technical Images, Minneapolis: Minnesota Fried, M. 2008, Why Photography Matters As Art As Never Before New Haven: Yale
Gâomez Cruz & Lehmuskallio (eds). 2018 Digital photography and everyday life : empirical studies on material visual practices, London: Routledge
Green D. 2003, Where is the Photograph? Photoworks/Photoforum Brighton
Hand, M, 2012, Ubiquitous Photography London: Polity
Hershberger, A, (ed.) 2014 Photographic Theory: An Historical Anthology London: Wiley Jurgenson, N., 2019 The Social Photo: On Photography and Social Media, London: Verso
Kelsey & Stimson (eds.) 2008, The Meaning of Photography Yale: Yale UP
Linfield, S. 2010, The Cruel Radiance: Photography and Political Violence Chicago: Chicago UP
Lister, M, (ed.) 2013, The Photographic Image in Digital Culture, 2nd ed. London: Routledge
Mitchell, W.J.T., 2005, What Do Pictures Want ? Chicago: Chicago UP
Mitchell, W.J.T., 2011 Cloning Terror: The War of Images, 9/11 to the Present Chicago UP
Neumüller, M. (ed.) 2018 The Routledge companion to photography and visual culture London: Routledge
Osborne, P. 2018, Photography and the contemporary cultural condition: commemorating the present London: Routledge
Ranciére, J. 2007, The Future of the Image London: Verso
Bull, Stephen (ed.) (2020) A Companion to Photography Chicester: Wiley Blackwell
Ritchin, F. 2010 After Photography New York: WW Norton
Ritchin, F. 2013 Bending the Frame: Photojournalism, Documentary, and the Citizen New York Aperture
Roberts, J. 2014, The Violations of Photography New York: Columbia UP
Sealy, M. 2019, Decolonising the Camera: Photography in Racial Time, London: Lawrence & Wishart
Sliwinski, S. 2011, Human Rights In Camera Chicago: Chicago
Soutter, L. 2018, Why Art Photography? 2nd Ed. London: Routledge
Durden & Tormey, eds. (2019) The Routledge Companion to Photography Theory London: Routledge
Stallabrass, J. 2013, Documentary London: Whitechapel/MIT Press
Stallabrass, J. 2013, Memory of Fire: Images of War and the War of Images Brighton: Photoworks
Stallabrass, J. 2021, Killing for Show: Photography, War, and the Media in Vietnam and Iraq London: Rowman & Littlefield
Steyerl, H., 2017 Duty Free Art: Art in the Age of Planetary Civil War London and New York: Verso
Stimson, B. 2006, The Pivot of the World : Photography and its Nation Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
Swinnen, J. (ed.) 2010, The Weight of Photography Brussels: Brussels UP
Tagg, J 2009, The Disciplinary Frame Minneapolis: Minnesota Press
Van Gelder and Westgeest 2011 Photography Theory in Historical Perspective: Case Studies from Contemporary Art, First Edition. London: Blackwell
Van Lier, H. 2007 Philosophy of Photography Leuven: Leuven UP
Wells, L. ed. 2019 The Photography Cultures Reader: Representation, Agency and Identity. London: Routledge
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