We live in two image worlds, the one we think we know and the one that exists. The former is organized by truth, fact and information - a society built upon the premise that image=evidence. The new image world has the ability to conjure realness untethered from reality, a place where a compelling image matters more than any indexical truth and where images have the potential to usher in new realities. Amongst the chaos, we can sense that the image world operates differently—and yet it’s unclear exactly how.
This one-day salon will explore what contemporary photography is today and what we want it to be. Alongside host Gem Fletcher, guest speakers, including Abdul Kircher, Farah Al Qasimi, Charlie Engman, Sinna Nasseri, Gideon Jacobs and more, will discuss where we stand and propose ideas about what comes next. The day will conclude with a conversation with Kathy Ryan, artist, curator, educator and former Director of Photography for The New York Times Magazine.
11 AM, ICP Library
Session 1: On Contemporary Art
What is contemporary art today? And what do we want it to be?
What we understand an image to be is becoming completely reimagined. As photography slowly loses its utility value as a communication tool, it has the opportunity to be a slippery, strange and miraculous medium of possibilities. From where we stand today, what is the work of art? And what role does photography play in those ideas and gestures?
Gem Fletcher is joined by artists Farah Al Qasimi, Charlie Engman and Gideon Jacobs.
1:00 PM, ICP Library
Session 2: On Portraiture
In a world where there are more cameras than people, what role does portraiture play?
Today, we all work for the image matrix. Selfies dominate the infinite scroll, and anyone with a phone shapes representation. Amongst these now dominant modes of self-expression, what is the role of portraiture? How do you make a portrait yours? And when working with people, how do you recognise where there might be potential for a photograph?
Gem Fletcher is joined by Caroline Tompkins, Alexander Coggin and Avion Pearce.
3:00 PM, ICP Library
Session 3: On Documentary Photography
What is a documentary photograph today? And what do we want it to be?
Amongst the doom and upheaval that defines life in the 2020s, from political extremism and war, the dizzying technological domination and the profound shifts in perception and attention, the role of documentary photography has never felt so consequential. Amongst this chaos, the protocols of the genre are shifting and new questions are emerging: What happens to documentary photography if we no longer trust in images? How is the changing media landscape impacting how images function? And can new forms of the medium emerge that adequately express the strange, unmappable shape of our present?
Gem Fletcher is joined by artists Abdul Kircher, Rhiannon Adam and Sinna Nasseri.
4:30 PM, ICP Library
Session 4: On Future Storytelling
What is the role of a photographer in today's chaotic media landscape?
For three decades, Kathy Ryan, the longtime director of photography at The New York Times Magazine, pioneered her own vision for visual storytelling through masterful commissioning, cross-assignment, blurring boundaries between genres and creating space for photography to be interpretive and elaborate, a powerful voice unto itself.
Now, as she enters a new era of her career as an artist, curator and educator, Kathy talks to Gem Fletcher about the future of storytelling and the role of the photographer in preserving history, challenging misinformation, and safeguarding the integrity of our shared narratives.
$5 tickets are available and do not include admission to ICP’s museum. Those with museum admission are welcome to join the salon if space is available. Seating is first come, first served, with limited standing room available.
About The Messy Truth Podcast
Dedicated to the world of contemporary photography, The Messy Truth podcast, hosted by Gem Fletcher features exclusive interviews with emerging and leading artists, curators, editors and critics, exploring the shifting landscape of visual culture and what it means to be a photographer today.
Farah Al Qasimi, The Amazon Department Store, 2020
