The upcoming session will examine the formative links between photographic history, science, and the humanities, as traced from the rise of industrialization to our present digital world through a series of contemporary responses. The point of departure for this forum is the publication and exhibition of Picture Industry: A Provisional History of the Technical Image (1844–2018), an anthology of texts reflecting the transformations in the production and distribution of mechanically reproduced imagery from the late-19th century to the present, edited by artist Walead Beshty. The book, produced by Luma Foundation in collaboration with the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, was published by JRP.
The featured speakers for this forum are Walead Beshty; David Campany, writer and independent curator; Noam Elcott, Associate Professor, Department of Art History and Archaeology and Chair of Art Humanities, Columbia University; artist LaToya Ruby Frazier; artist Cameron Rowland; and artist Christopher Williams.
This event is by invitation only, but we are very pleased to present a recording of the forum, which will allow remote friends and colleagues to hear the conversation.
Cofounded by curators Roxana Marcoci and Eva Respini on February 16, 2010, and conceived as an experimental platform for free-form critical discussions, MoMA’s forums on contemporary photography are designed to encourage debate about the perspectives and scope of still and moving images and other forms of picture-making among leading artists, curators, and theorists in the field. The creative process of today is not solitary but dynamic, evolving from countless partnerships. These forums offer an intellectual milieu that values the scholarly reassessment of pivotal ideas in art, innovative practices, and complex and competing visions of modern and contemporary art.
Roxana Marcoci, The David Dechman Senior Curator and Acting Chief Curator of Photography, The Robert B. Menschel Department of Photography, MoMA, begins each session with an introduction to the topic, providing context for the conversation. Four to seven featured speakers then present for five to 10 minutes each. The presentations are followed by a probing, critical Q&A session and a moderated discussion with all the guests.
Read an article about the Forums from Art in America.
Organized by Roxana Marcoci, Senior Curator, Department of Photography, The Museum of Modern Art.
The Forums on Contemporary Photography are made possible through the generous support of the Joseph M. Cohen Family Collection.