Photography Documentation Property

Welcome to participate in the second theoretical workshop at the "processing" exhibition where we shall discuss the issues of documenting properties and limitations of photography.

Due to a mechanic process of creating images, photography gained the status of an objective medium and a document. Photography is used as a tool in many disciplines, or in scientific research, while in legal practices it may act as evidence. After all, photography is archived, and for historians, it may be an important source of the past.

Since the early days of photography and the theory of photography, there has been much criticism and undeniable arguments refuting the authority of a document; highlighting its limitations and shortcomings in terms of reflecting reality. Paradoxically enough but accepting the authenticity of images comes along its absolute criticism. During the workshop, we shall talk about how obvious the documenting properties of photography are. What are the representing limitations of photography? What is the role of discourse in interpreting photography? What tools and approaches can teach photography reading? What could photography mean for a historian?

To participate in the workshop, we shall read the two chapters from the book by John Tegg "The Burden of Representation: Essays on Photographies and Histories" to discuss them with the workshop participants.

The workshop format is a facilitated discussion engaging a curator group of the "processing" exhibition-as-research of the photo archive of Vil' Furgalo – Bohdan Shumylovych, Oleksandr Makhanets, Victoriia Panas.

To participate, please, fill in the application form, and justify your motivation. Upon registration, you will receive the reading list.

The workshop is taking place as part of a public program for the "processing" exhibition-as-research on the photo archive of Vil' Furgalo.

For more details, please, contact Victoriia Panas, a member of a curator group of the "processing" exhibition, a public history program coordinator at the Center ([email protected]).

Credits

Cover image: Photo by Vil' Furgalo // Urban Media Archive