Warsaw Photo Days was launched in 2013 by the  OW ZPAF's initiative. The first edition of the festival took place in Warsaw, Poland in October 2013. The main mission behind the festival is to create a room that will enable the broad exposure of various forms of photography medium, from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

Joanna Chudy, from the series 'Fragmentaryczność wspomnień, czyli pocztówki z podróży'

Last year we were thrilled to participate in a partnership with Warsaw Photo Days resulting in a large section of our issue #14 being dedicated to the initiative. This year is no different and we are discovering Warsaw again for more.

The second edition of the festival will kick off this Friday, October 24th ( facebook event )and will run under a theme of 'IDENTIFICATION', as understood broadly.The Main Program will consist of three collective exhibitions displaying Polish artists.

'RECOGNITION', the first one, will focus on the subject of typological photography - in which the author records repetitive motifs via portraits. 'SIGNATURE' exhibition will look into the subjective matters of paper, print and negative, in relation to an artist and as a result of which an unique output is being created. What defines a signature? What truly the mark of an artist is? The theme of the third exhibition, 'MARKED PLACES', construes the subject of presence and relativity to various events in time and space. As such, this relation may not always be obvious or visible, and as a matter of fact will not be easily defined. What defines this photographic relevancy? Would it be a case of aesthetics, a matter of composition or a colour or form used... or is it all just a mere packaging and what's important is somewhat concealed and has to be revealed for us to experience.

Rafał Milach, from the series 'The Winners'

Hereby, we are thrilled to invite you to experience Warsaw Photo Days one more time.

For a list of all events please read more and remember to visit WPD's page for all upcoming news and full programme.





Warsaw Photo Days 2014

RECOGNITION 
Place: NOWE MIEJSCE, Al. Jerozolimskie 51 suite 2, Warsaw
Vernissage: 24.10.2014 (Friday), 6.00 p.m.
Duration: 25.10.2014– 23.11.2014
Curators: Joanna Kinowska, Dominika Kucner
Artists: Tomek Albin, georgia Krawiec, Marcin Kaliński, Michał Korta, Rafał Milach, Maciek Nabrdalik, Bartosz Nowicki, Karol Radziszewski, Ilona Szwarc.
Meeting with Artists and Curators at the exhibition: 30 Oct. (Thursday), 6 p.m., NOWE MIEJSCE

Bartosz Nowicki, from the series 'Ściana milczenia'

SIGNATURE 
Place: Galeria Kordegarda (Gallery), Krakowskie Przedmieście 15, Warsaw
Vernissage: 13.11.3014 (Thursday), 6.00 p.m.
Duration: 14.11.2014 – 30.11.2014
Curator: Katarzyna Majak; substantive cooperation: Piotr Szpilski
Artists: Dorota Buczkowska, Zbigniew Dłubak, Łódź Kaliska, Natalia LL, Andrzej Partum, Andrzej Pawłowski, Józef Robakowski, Andrzej Różycki, Zygmunt Rytka, Piotr Szpilski, Leszek Wesołowski, Bartek Wieczorek.
Meeting with Artists and Curator at the exhibition: 14 Nov, 5 p.m. Kordegarda Gallery

Andrzej Pawłowski, „Omam (Da Capo)” from the series Omamy (Slady gestu), 1962

MARKED PLACES 
Place: Stara Galeria ZPAF, Pl. Zamkowy 8, Warsaw
Vernissage: 25.10.2014 (Saturday), 5.00 p.m.
Duration: 26.10.2014– 23.11.2014
Curator: Andrzej Zygmuntowicz
Artists: Anita Andrzejewska, Wojciech Beszterda, Joanna Chudy, Michał Dąbrowski, Andrzej Dobosz, Andrzej Górski, Prot Jarnuszkiewicz, Marcin Jastrzębski, Maciej Jeziorek, Karolina Jonderko, Maciek Nabrdalik, Paweł Żak.
Meeting with Artists and Curator at the exhibition: 26 Oct. (Sunday), 12 a.m., Stara Galeria ZPAF

Marcin Jastrzębski, from the series 'Na końcu świata albo jeszcze dalej', N-34

+

OPEN PROGRAM - SLIDELUCK WARSAW I
Within the framework of this year's edition of Warsaw Photo Days, you are invited to the first edition of SLIDELUCK WARSAW I - a provided with musical background public display of selected in a contest formula photographic or multimedia sets combined with snacks. SLIDELUCK WARSAW I will be the first show in Central-Eastern Europe according to the world-proven formula.

SLIDESHOW OF ALL SLIDELUCK WARSAW I FINALISTS
Place: Dom Towarowy Bracia Jabłkowscy, ul. Bracka 25, Warsaw (former Traffic offices).
Curators: Maria Teresa Salvati (Slideluck, Slideluck Europe), Grzegorz Kosmala (doc! photo magazine and contra doc!), Katarzyna Majak (Warsaw Photo Days, Slideluck Warsaw).

SLIDELUCK WARSAW I WINNER’S EXHIBITION 
Michał Adamski HIDDEN REALITY
Place: Galeria OBOK ZPAF, Pl. Zamkowy 8, Warsaw
Vernissage: 25.10.2014 (Saturday), 6.00 p.m.
Duration: 26.10.2014-23.11.2014
Curator: Katarzyna Majak

Slideluck Chicago

+

ACCOMPANYING EVENTS
Accompanying events are an integral part of the festival and their list is still in development. This year we have planned an auction of Polish photography within the framework of the 13. Edition of the project Collector's Photography. It is going to be a great opportunity to acquire photographs of outstanding Polish artists. A part of the festival will also be the widely successful series of meetings titled "We are all photographers vol. 2“, addressed to photography enthusiasts. The series was conceived as a friendly guide to the world of contemporary photographic image developed by artists, curators, journalists, culture animators and art historians. Much as last year, during the Warsaw Photo Days there will be held photographic workshops, meetings with authors and lectures (including by Karolina Puchała - Rojek of the Archeology of Photography Foundation - on the creative work of Wojciech Zamecznik and Agnieszka Pajączkowska, Monika Szewczyk-Wittek "The family album of the 20th century, photographs from the Archive of Verbal History of the KARTA Center and House of Meetings with History").

A new feature of this edition will be the MANY HANDS contest, addressed to young artists (up to 35 years of age). It has the objective of promotion of young talent and the idea of art collecting. The winning work selected by a jury will be purchased for the private photo collection Many Hands Make Light Work. More info: www.manyhands.pl


AUCTION OF THE 13. EDITION OF THE  COLLECTOR'S PHOTOGRAPHY project
Place: CSW Zamek Ujazdowski, ul. Jazdów 2, Warsaw
Date: 26.10.2014 (Sunday), 7.00 p.m.
Curator and project coordinator: Katarzyna Sagatowska; curatorial cooperation: Maga Sokalska

WE ARE ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS VOL. 2
Dates: 29.10.2014 (Wednesday), 12.11.2014 (Wednesday)
Place: Bar STUDIO, Plac Defilad 1,  foyer of the Studio Theater, PKiN, Warsaw
Authors and coordinators of the series: Monika Szewczyk-Wittek and Katarzyna Sagatowska
Invited guests:
Kuba Dąbrowski (29.10, 8.30 p.m.) – Whom do we see, or portrait in photography;
Mikołaj Grynberg (12.11, 6.00 p.m.) – On life, or personal projects in photography

LECTURES:
- 4.11 (Tuesday), 6 p.m., Stara Galeria ZPAF, Pl. Zamkowy 8, Warsaw
The family album of the 20th century, photographs from the Archive of Verbal History of the KARTA Center and House of Meetings with History" conducted by Agnieszka Pajączkowska, Monika Szewczyk-Wittek
- 18.11 (Tuesday), 6 p.m., Stara Galeria ZPAF, Pl. Zamkowy 8, Warsaw
"I wish I could devote myself to photography" - on the creative work of Wojciech Zamecznik – conducted by Karolina Puchała-Rojek (Archeology of Photography Foundation).

SPECIAL SCREENING OF KAROL RADZISZEWSKI’S “PRINCE” AT KINO.LAB
Date: 10.11.2014 (Monday) 8 p.m.
Place: KINO.LAB CSW Zamek Ujazdowski, ul. Jazdów 2, Warsaw

FINISSAGE AT KINO.LAB
Screening of films by: Józef Robakowski, Paweł Kwiek, Joanna Zastróżna (Warsaw premiere of MOLEHILL);
MANY HANDS contest winner’s announcement
Date: 23.11 (Sunday) 6 p.m.
Place: KINO.LAB CSW Zamek Ujazdowski, ul. Jazdów 2, Warsaw

"Burnt Generation"– this is the name given to the show that ran between 10th of April and 1st of June in Somerset House in London.  This is also the name of the generation of Iranians encompassing those born between 1963 and 1980. In Iran they are known as Nasl-e-Sokhte. Before the 1979 Iraq-Iran war, which was also known as the First Persian Gulf War, their parents mostly belonged to the major part of the society of this time – the middle class. Children have been taught the beautiful principles: the value of high education, hard work and morality. Following them, they were supposed to earn a glorious future in welfare and peace. Nobody could predict the revolution, which brought with it death and darkness.

Babak Kazemi, Khoramshahr number by number.

The memory of the war, apart from the loneliness and isolation, is one of the main themes appearing in the contemporary Iranian art exhibited abroad. The new generation tries to deal with the reality, converting everyday experiences into touching photographic images. Although artists are not allowed to speak directly and loud about things that hurt, this factor doesn't prevent them from creating appealing documentation of everyday life and issues such as family, identity, tradition, gender, fears, memory. This is not the first case in the world's history which proves that the outer restrictions can release a vast creative power, which subtlety conveys the hidden messages and emotions rather then destroy the freedom of mind. That's probably one of the main reasons why the contemporary Iranian photography is so unique, intriguing, multidimensional and multilayered, often playful and experimental in form. Artists, the present research refers to, seek the new ways of using the language of photography and we are now witnesses of their great success in these uneasy explorations.

Babak Kazemi, Khoramshahr number by number.

Iran has long and complicated history most of the people usually know very little about or nothing. People inequitably confuse this country with Iraq, associating it mainly with oil and unstable political and social situation. However Iran, known formerly as Persia, evolved from one of the world's oldest civilizations, for thousands of years continuously developing its own cultural identity.

Babak Kazemi, Khoramshahr number by number.

Initially the Zoroastrian country, Persia has been forced to change religion under the Islamic conquest between the 8th and 10th century. The old civilization mixed up with the Muslim influences creating new but firm and unique identity. After five centuries, in 1501, Iran managed to regain the their independence and constitute a leading power in the region once again. New ruling dynasty, called Safavid, caused another turning point in the history of empire, establishing Shi'a Islam as the official religion of the country. Nothing could distract the raise of a great empire until the 1963 White Revolution, 1979 Islamic Revolution and subsequent tragic Iran- Iraq war.
There were many reasons for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to invade the neighbouring country. First and foremost, he assumed that exhausted by revolution and inner conflict the country would prove to be easy to conquer and he expected a quick victory.

There were also religious and economic reasons behind his decision. Hussein intended to gain the leading position in the region, but he miscalculated his strength. The forthcoming conflict lasted 8 long years, costing both sides around million people death and vast economic damages, although effecting with no changes in borders. It turned out to be the warfare without the winner.

As mentioned before, war memories have marked Iranians for their lives. It has naturally become a recurring topic for contemporary artists and photographers from the region.

Babak Kazemi, Khoramshahr number by number.

Babak Kazemi is one of them. His works provide a perfect example of artistic aftermath document.  Born in 1983 in the city of Ahvaz, author still remembers the childhood in the middle of the war and its humanitarian and economical costs. In the project ‘Khoramshahr number by number’ (2006) he places the house number plates in the position of witnesses of lasting eight years fights. Iranian city Khoromashahr located on the Iraqi border was completely ruined during the conflict – now became unusual memorial for those, who never came back to their houses and families. Author states:  “Door numbers are made of metal, they are somehow bulletproof and they will not die, they've seen many things that we didn't and they have many stories to tell.  They are still waiting for their owners to come back and live in their houses.”

Babak Kazemi returned a few times to the city, collecting numbers and photographing citizens. The project consists of photographs, real plates and double exposed pictures comprising images of number plates with the portrayed inhabitants of Khoramshahr.
The “Souvenir from a friend and neighbour country” showcases the conflict from slightly different perspective, presenting photographs of the deformed bullets found in peoples bodies after war. Many Iranians still have little pieces of metal under the skin and will possess this “gifts” until the end of life.

Babak Kazemi reached the mastery in portraying painful and touching problems, keeping seemingly a scientific distance to the topic and utilizing the typology-like form of presentation, at the same time staying highly creative and experimental regarding the creative process. His works are usually displayed in little frames that give an impression of rare specimens or museum objects, rather then contemporary works of art. This sense of facing ancient finds is enhanced by accompanying laconic descriptions, such as:

Babak Kazemi, Souvenir from a friend and neighbour country.

On the other hand, we have war documents created in completely different aesthetics, working in the journalistic convention. Abbas Kowsari, born in 1970 in Teheran, has worked as a photographer and photo editor for over ten Iranian leading newspapers. His project “Shade of Earth” gained him international reputation.

Abbas Kowsari, Shade of Earth.

Kowsari created this series between 2007 and 2008 years. He focused on capturing a Rahian-e Noor (Caravan of Light), traditional pilgrimage to the sides where Iran-Iraq fighting was the heaviest. For many years thousands of Iranians, mainly the families of soldiers who died during the war, head to the former battlefields to commemorate the victims of the war.
The included pictures convey the atmosphere of conflict on one side and personal tragedies on the other. All placed in an empty windy desert, gives us in insight into the parallel reality, where dramatic memories are fresh and ubiquitous, in the times that we used to think about as peaceful and safe.

Abbas Kowsari, Shade of Earth.

Newsha Tavakolian, born in 1981 in Teheram, shows a feminine point of view on the war memories in her project “Mothers of Martyrs”. This Photographer created a series of portraits, which depicts mothers holding the pictures of their lost sons. “As a mother, nothing is worse than outliving your own child”, says artist in her statement. “But these Iranian mothers are proud their sons have given their lives for Iran”.

Tavakolina’s story with the camera started really early – she became a newspaper photographer at the age of sixteen. Nine years later she admitted in a Leica Blog interview:  “I got to a stage in my career where news photography became almost impossible for me. I always give this example: when they keep you from breathing through your nose, you open your mouth to breathe. For me, art photography was necessary to be able to breathe again”. It’s not easy in Iran to work with photography and be absolutely free from self–censoring. Tavakolian tells the story about Iran – Iraq fights not showing the war itself but allowing the portrayed mothers and their sons to speak. “Mothers of Martyrs” conveys a universal meaning; these women could be the mothers from every country in the world, which suffered from military offensives. It’s a great manifesto against war, which in a real life is not only about the power, but, first of all, about the broken families and young boys dying.

Newsha Tavakolian, Mothers of Martyrs.

The War had finished and society expected long-awaited peace, which followed, but only in theory. Exhausted and wretched country transmuted into the stage for new political battles. Iranian streets remained full of demonstrations, demanding the right to self-determination in their homeland. A Big part of society quickly understood, that revolution didn’t bring  improvements and the effect of the revolution was different than expected. Women didn’t get the promised emancipation. The economy started to collapse as Iran gained a new powerful enemy – USA. Some Iranians started to realize, what they’ve lost winning the revolution. Rana Javadi is and artists who in a great way connected contemporary issues, history and the post-revolution situation in her project ‘Never ending chaos’.

Rana Javadi, Neverending Chaos.

Javadi put together photographs, symbols and old painting creating the digital images that remind us collages or ancient mosaics, full of symbols and hidden meanings. She shuffles her own war photographs, tiles depicting historical Battle of Karbara and some other illustrations. Her works, printed on linen, conveys the atmosphere and complexity of life in Islamic Republic.
In another project, called ‘When you were dying’, Rana Javadi utilizes the early 20th century Iranian portraits found in famous Chehrenegar studio in Shiraz. Old pictures were taken in the courtyard: in this time the artificial light was not available yet.  As artist says, ‘When you’re dying series tells a story about the death of a beautiful era. About death of a peaceful life, when we didn’t live in a global village, the time when we lived with our own cultures, when life was not as fast as now — a life without electronic social networking, without so many environmental disasters and wars, a life with more peace in mind and the world.’ This project combines past and present, comprising of three layers: one of them is an old picture of anonymous people and forgotten situations, the second consists of pieces of dried flowers and plants, and the last layer is the mirror or glass that reflects the current reality.

Rana Javadi, When You Were Dying.

Rana Javadi collaborated on many projects with the most famous Iranian photographer, Bahman Jalali, her late husband. They were both interested in a history of Iran and found photographs. One of his most recognizable series, called ‘Image of Imagination – Red’ (2003), is created on the basis of the portraits from the same Cherenegar studio. The project has its beginning in the found vandalised female photographs, censored by Islamic finders during the revolution. Series reflects on the different attitudes to women throughout the Iranian history. Found pictures are proving the existence of progressive times, when it was highly fashionable to visit the photographic studio and book professional individual portrait session. Images convey the atmosphere of welfare and safety; the models are unveiled and seem to be very relaxed. Pictures are covered with the red paint that was supposed to hide ideological inconsistencies. The new conservative religious dogmas didn’t approve the originally apolitical pictures together with the femininity and beauty recorded on the photographs. Enlarged from negatives, together with covering them with red paint and black calligraphy, mix up time and different realities, bearing the witness of huge changes in the Iranian society over last decades.

Bahman Jalali, Image of Imagination.

Another Iranian artist alluding to old pre-revolutionary time and traditional calligraphy is Sadegh Tirafkan (1965 - 2013). In the series ‘Body curves’ and ‘Body signs’ artist tries to ‘unite the curvatures of the human body with Persian calligraphy and figurative images from Persian art’ (quotation from the flyer of Somerset House ‘Burnt Generation’ exhibition). He utilized the old technique used in Iranian Islamic culture to print on cloth, called Mohr. The taboo against showing naked male body is in Iranian tradition is as strong as the rule of female veiling. In this photographs skin is covered with tattoos and words with meanings such as water, fire, renewal. Tirafkan questions the role of man in the Iranian society, one of the themes he was the drawn to during all artistic career.

Sadegh Tirafkan, Body Curves.

Sadegh Tirafkan, Body Curves.

Shadi Ghadirian, one of the most recognizable Iranian artists, also got inspired by the old pictures and pre-revolutionary Iran, while working on her famous ‘Quajar’ (1998) project. The title is the name of Iranian dynasty that ruled between 1794 and 1925 years. During this period the portrait photography was very popular with the elite; photographs were usually taken in the homes of commissioners, in less formal clothes and poses, often showing the models together with their valuables or objects confirming their social status.  For this series artist borrowed antique costumes and furniture, ordered painted backdrops and invited friends to be the models for her photographs. The Depicted woman are self-confident and look straight at the camera, but pose in a more formal way than in the old pictures from the Quajar period. What is drawing attention in these images is the presence of contemporary objects, such as a radio, mountain bike and the can of Coke. Quoting from the London Saatchi Gallery website, “in this piece Ghadirian’s surreal time-warp happens in reverse: the initial joke is that the 1980s radio is out of place in the antique setting, but it is the vintage scene and pose which is in fact much more modern. Ghadirian uses this subtle humour to describe a contemporary Iranian female experience of existing as if outside of time.” The question arises: what era these women belong to?

Shadi Ghadirian, Qajar.

The theme of the female role in society is very complex and was changing diametrically throughout the history of Iran. In the traditional Islamic society before the White Revolution it was absolutely necessary for women to veil. During the Pahlavi regime the great changes had been implemented. In 1936 Reza Shah had attempted to unveil women, banning them from wearing chadur. A big part of  the  professional middle class class hailed the new law, although as Monique Girgis wrote in her article “Women in pre-revolutionary, revolutionary and post-revolutionary Iran”, often “chadur was not the sign of oppression, but protection from strange eyes. The unveiling had negative effects on certain groups of Iranian women, especially older women. It was unthinkable for them to go out in public unveiled, and many women became isolated in their home. Being unveiled, to them, was equal to nudity”. Reza Shah also introduced the Family Protection Acts in 1967 and 1975. It was created to improve the women’s rights in the domestic environment. The new law raised the minimum marriage age, requested the permission of the first wife for husband if he wanted to remarry, was supposed to protect and help women in case of divorce, guaranteed maternity leave and much more.

Shadi Ghadirian, Like Everyday.

Women played a huge role during the Islamic Revolution. Some of them participated because the changes started by Shah were more theoretical than practical. Some of them were just scared of altering their customs, growing up in the atmosphere of traditional and religious values. A Big part of them just wanted  to remove the Shah’s dictatorship – the country needed deep reforms.
In the post-revolutionary Iran big changes quickly started to take place in all spheres of life. Unfortunately they didn’t meet the women’s expectations. All the freedoms and support they received from the previous regime now disappeared. The Family Rights Acts were immediately repealed. It was required by law to veil again.

Shadi Ghadirian, Like Everyday.

We come back to Shadi Ghadirian, whose works often focus on women’s issues.  In her “Like Everyday Series” (2001) she portrayed women dressed in beautiful colourful chadurs with faces covered by ordinary kitchen tools. The Artist utilized the domestic gifts she received for her wedding. Being the young professional she found these presents ridiculous and out of place. The author of the article on the Saatchi Gallery website comments: “Challenging the international preconceptions of women’s roles within an Islamic state, Tehran-based artist Shadi Ghadirian’s photographs draw from her own experiences as a modern woman living within the ancient codes of Shariah law. Her images describe a positive and holistic female identity, humorously taking issue with the traditional roles by which women – both in the Middle East and universally – have been defined. (...) Using these objects – such as irons and frying pans – as masks to cover the faces of her veiled sitters, Ghadirian’s photos ironically portray a one-dimensional interpretation of housewives, absurdly reducing their identities to cooks and cleaners”.

In today’s society it’s not only women who feel lost in the post-revolutionary reality. Newsha Tavakolian created a touching picture of young Iranian professionals tired of living in isolated society and lacking the hope for a bright future in her most recent project “Look”. These young middle-class Iranians are the perfect representatives of the “burnt generation”, marked by insecurity, alienation and political apathy. Everyday at 8 in the evening, over the period of six months, she visited her neighbours from the same building. Tavakolian has chosen the windows for the background. Behind them one can see the sea of concrete cold buildings, hostile and inhospitable, the same as the one the artist was shooting in. “The project was my desire to look deeply into the lives of those around me who I have known for over ten years and who live in my building”, she explains. “They were all scared and anxious, and I saw that despite how much access they had to technology, despite not being at the edge of poverty, they were still lonely, perplexed. I wanted to catch such a moment in their lives”.

Newsha Tavakolian, Look.

The youth’s reality is presented from different perspective in a very original way in Amirali Ghasemi’s “Teheran Remixed:  Party Series”. This popular Iranian artist, designer and curator, the founder of the independent Teheran Parkinggallery, started to take snapshots during illegal private parties in 2005 during the presidency of reformist Khatami. He aimed to capture a real Teheran youth night life, attempting to present the personal artistic response to the dominating in international media pictures of veiled women and suppression. He removed the visible fragments of body, covering them with the white colour in the way that refers to the censorship of the imported international magazines “rectified” with the black paint.

Amirali Ghasemi, Teheran Remixed: Party Series.

Amirali Ghasemi, Teheran Remixed: Party Series.

As artist states on his website, works from this project “portray a young population who, instead of looking towards expanding its social liberty, is having fun enjoying the last years of a reformist state in power. Tehran remixed is also an attempt to break through and to experiment with documentary photography and manipulate it in order to tell stories without ignoring people’s privacy”. Ghasemi suggests that these times that are being shown would cause a lot of problems for his friends and he wanted to avoid this. He says also, that these pictures are not relevant to the contemporary reality anymore, as they have been shot nine years ago. Now they can serve as a document telling the story about the youth of middle class.

Amirali Ghasemi, Teheran Remixed: Party Series.

The motif of duality between private and public has been also examined by two collaborating artists – Ali Nadjian and Ramyar Manouchehrzadeh in the project named “We live in a Paradoxical Society”.  This series emphasizes the wide gulf between the two parts of contemporary Iranians lives. The one sphere of the existence is placed at home, where everybody can do, dress, speak and think what he wants. The contrary one is the life outside of the safe domestic space, where people are forced to pretend and censor themselves. As artists explains, “this collection has a narrative inside which is a result of our thoughts and necessarily there is no rule that sub narratives are happening in each image of it; meaning that no boundary can be marked between reality and imagination, or between a documentary image and a subjective one. Nobody in these pictures are being themselves but act as the actors and actresses playing the role instead of any other individual existing and living in the society”.  Photographs, captured from the voyeuristic point of view, let us into Iranian rooms and kitchens, laying the stress on the atmosphere of fear and insecurity. These people need to find their own way to deal with the leading religion, political situation, history and internal freedom, as “they found their values ruined by the heavy burden of promoted idealism”.

Ali Nadjian & Ramyar Manouchehrzadeh, We live in a paradoxical society.

Ali Nadjian & Ramyar Manouchehrzadeh, We live in a paradoxical society.

Gohar Dashti approaches contemporary political and social issues from aesthetically different point of view. The artist placed her “Iran, Untitled” series in the middle of nowhere, on the silent desert that acts as a uniform backdrop for the carefully staged photographs. Dashti speaks using the body language of her models, telling big stories in quiet, but powerful words. In this pictures one can see the group of people listlessly waiting with the suitcases for the travel in the unknown direction; soldiers planning their games, other groups celebrating a wedding while another set got stuck on a slide. These people seem to be frozen and trapped beyond the time and reality. They represent the emotions and experiences that are hard to articulate. In the information that was published in the occasion of the Somerset House “Burnt Generation” exhibition it states: “Dashti describes these images as haiku’s exploring the relationship between form and content in which meaning is not necessarily understood but must be comprehended aesthetically”. The Artist has left the narrative open so each spectator is involved in her game and is expected to tell his own story based on Dashti’s photographs.

Gohar Dashti, Iran. Untitled.

The last artist this article treats about is a young talented Morvavid K., whose works were shown during this year Format photo festival located in Derby, UK. Artist’s deepest interest lies in capturing the daily absurdity and paradoxes. Morvavid K. in presented series entitled “Preserved for a better day” utilizes a sublime and nuanced aesthetic. The carefully prepared and serious images use the language of unconstrained humour. White sheet, associated with protecting home objects during holiday leaves, is used here as a playful metaphor; in these photographs it covers people, paused in everyday activities: smoking cigarette, exercising box, resting on the sofa. They all wait for better times to come; in this project artist gives the hope for a happy ending of her story.

Morvavid K., Preserved for a better day.

Morvavid K., Preserved for a better day.

Contemporary Iranian artists elaborated their own highly original and unique style and expressions that are different from Western photographic ways of storytelling. Born before the 1963-1980 Iran – Iraq war and the 1979 revolution, living in uncertain time and complex reality, artists from the “burnt revolution” are telling us beautiful and moving stories of their homeland. In this article we’ve mentioned only 11 of them; it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

prism #18 is out featuring Warsaw Photo Days 2014 alongside with 7 selected photographers: Hrair Sarkissian, Jan Kempenaers, Magdalena Switek, Eva Wollenberg, Ingvild Melberg, Sergey Novikov, Barbel Praun:

This May, we celebrate the 4th anniversary of prism Photography Magazine.

Over the past four years we have done our best to provide our audience with twenty-four amazing issues (launch issue #00, twenty regular issues and three special editions), each one completed with a great selection of contemporary photography. Each year, prism has provided us with new challenges and new experiences, which have been very rewarding for us. We were always thrilled to celebrate established names and happy to promote emerging artists and numerous photographic initiatives. We were delighted to have partnered with photographic festivals, institutions and collective and have always been looking forward to setting up new goals and meeting new friends!




We have created a stable and growing platform for international audience to be exposed to 'what's hot' in the contemporary photography. We have successfully launched a blog platform to provide you with articles, previews, reviews and interviews. We have organised a few very exciting exhibitions, both as our own initiative and also as part of festivals: a very successful International Instant Photography Exhibition, numerous group shows and collective exhibitions, such as the exhibition of Marian Schmidt, founder and director of Warsaw School of Photography, a photographer known for his humanistic approach to photography and his masterful composition skills.

We are also proud to be actively supporting photographic prizes and events introducing their winners to our audience. In the past years we have actively promoted winners of The Grand Prix Fotofestiwal Lodz (Poland), POPCAP Prize for Contemporary African Photography and prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Prize.
 
prism has always been committed to be partnered with festivals and photographic organisations: Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal, PhotoIreland.org, Belfast Photo Festival, piclet.org, Neu Now, Slideluck Potshow Dublin, Actual Colors May Vary, PhotoMonth Krakow, Fotofestiwal Lodz and Warsaw Photo Days and recently, Fresh From Poland, to name few of our good old and new friends.

All our efforts have been met with very positive feedback, which has reassured us that our work is noticed and appreciated. We couldn't have expected a better reward.

With this exalted moment of anniversary celebration we are thrilled to have discovered and to present the work of ten talented photographers: ‘Notes for an Epilogue’ by Tamas Dezso (thanks to the courtesy of The Photographers’ Gallery (London, UK)), ‘SEE(ING) by Alexandra Soldatova, ‘Vertigo’ by Jiyeon Kim, Paulina Otylie Surys and her physical manipulation of analogue photographs taken and hand processed by herself, ‘Nothing Has Changed’ by Agnieszka Gotowala, ‘Golden Leaf Over Plasterboard’ by Álvaro Escobar Ruano, collage-sculptures and installations created and photographed by Ceaphas Stubbs, a black and white tale ‘Under The Surveillance of the Ancient Animals’ by Maria Oliveira and finally, two members of ATONAL photo-collective: Alexander Arnild Peitersen and Cato Lein.


We would like to thank all photographers, curators and editors who contributed to this and all previous issues, our friends from galleries, institutions and organizations for their support and positive energy, and finally, most of all, we’d like to thank you, Dear Readers for building such a strong, supportive community of photo enthusiasts that keeps us motivated to deliver more amazing material in the future.

Let the light in.

Karol Liver
prism Editor

prism 4th Anniversary Issue is launched, featuring: Tamas Dezso, Alexandra Soldatova, Jiyeon Kim, Paulina Otylie Surys, Agnieszka Gotowala, Álvaro Escobar Ruano, Ceaphas Stubbs, Maria Oliveira, ATONAL Collective 1/2: Alexander Arnild Peitersen and Cato Lein:

Youth, creativity, and an ‘all-or-nothing’ attitude will be taking over Krakow Pauza club on the 17th May,

Polish contemporary photography is a broad and yet unexplored field. It is a lush, rich area with no limits, patterns or direct paths. Young artists play with the photographic medium, explore it and experiment. It is not very easy to trace them. It is often not easy to explain the way of seeing and telling their stories.

Fresh From Poland is not trying to be your guide into this vivid world, however they would like to share some of the fascinating works discovered during a year of their platform's existence.

by Ewa Behrens, Selfportrait with Herman The First

The artists participating:

Franek Ammer, Karolina Bajda, Katarzyna Balicka, Ewa Behrens, Marta Berens, Łukasz Biederman, Marcel Borowski, Michał Brezinsky, Ola Bydlowska, Michał Bździuch, Agnieszka Chabros, Damian Chrobak, Justyna Chrobot, Jan Cieślikiewicz, Marta Cieślikowska, Ania Cywińska, Michał Czech, Piotr Czyż, Alicja Dobrucka, Darek Fortas, Jacek Fota, Karolina Grabowska, Kasia Gumpert, Karolina Jonderko, Dorotka Kaczmarek, Karolina Karwan, Anna Kieblesz, Kamila Kobierzyńska, Wawrzyniec Kolbusz, Magdalena Kulak, Marcin Kwiecień, Diana Lelonek, Krystian Lipiec, Mateusz Luzar, Monika Łopacka, Kuba Mozolewski, Gabriel Orłowski, Tatiana Pancewicz, Sylwia Paprzycka, Magdalena Lazar & Marcin Pazera, Oiko Petersen, Ewa Płonka, Natalia Podgórska, Natalia Poniatowska, Ernest Protasiewicz, Maciek Przemyk, Michał Sierakowski, Magdalena Świtek, Jacek Ura, Ola Walkow, Anna Wiącek, Ania Witkovska, Hubert Worobiej, Michał Woroniak, Piotr Zbierski, Marta Zgierska.

by Cieslikowska Marta,  Untittled (2011)

by Jan Cieślikiewicz, Untitled

by Tatiana Pancewicz  GLOW  Melba magazine, Glow issue no.07

by Wawrzyniec Kolbusz,  Untitled (Wax figure, Iran), 2014

Event is free, as a part of Krakow Photo Fringe.
Private view today 17 May 8pm. Slideshow exhibition 18-24 May.

The 14th International Festival of Photography 2015 in Łodz is over. Almost 20 thousand people visited the festival’s center and Lodz-based galleries. Among them were artists: Christopher Rauschenberg, Simon Norfolk and Carl De Keyzer and theorists and curators: W.M. Hunt, Christina Capetillo, Alison Nordström. Once again Łodz has been a place of international meetings.

Fotofestiwal Opening Night / press materials, 2015

Artists connected with curators, the audience with artists, the beginning photographers with veteran professional colleagues and art lovers. The themes and the profile of talks were dictated by the festival's program of 45 exhibitions, night slides of the finalists' works and Asian photography,photography workshops, meetings, discussions on travel photography, photography, auction, photowalks and a Portfolio Review with over 30 reviewers from all over the world, one of the most important in Europe.

Port-off-folio / press materials, 2015

Photo Publication of the Year / press materials, 2015

The Festival started on May 28th in Art Inkubator. At 6 p.m. the results of the annual Grand Prix Fotofestiwal contest were announced. The prize went to Patrick Willocq for his project "I am Walé Respect Me" about the rituals of young mothers in Congo. The Rector of the Lodz University prize went to Anna Grzelewska for her "Julia Wannabe" project. Justyna Mielnikiewicz's „Woman with a monkey – Caucasus in Short Notes and Photographs” project was awarded Photographic Publication of the Year.

Slideshow Grand Prix 2015, Piotrkowska OFF, press materials, 2015

65% of works were sold during the Collectors of Photography auction. Plenty of people visited the exhibitions of: Carl De Keyzer, Krzysztof Miller, Twoj Styl and the ones organized by the Film School in Lodz. The Film School organized 11 exhibitions, for example: the travel-themed group exhibition FLOW and the exhibition of the students, postgraduates and graduates' works, from Robert Mainka to Wojtek Wieteska.

Two new programs were particularly successful, the Discovery Showexhibition of Mario Macilau from Mozambique and the HIT THE ROAD discussion panel. Photographers Travel presenting different approaches to the 'Hit the Road' theme. Well-known photographers: Simon Norfolk (UK), Carl De Keyzer (BE) and Christopher Rauschenberg (US) presented their works and talked to reviewers, curators and the experts in photography. That panel was a kind of trailer for the next edition of Fotofestiwal which will be devoted to travel photography. An exhibition by Robert Rauschenberg's exhibition – curated by Alison Nordström, the artistic director of Fotofestiwal 2016 and several other exhibitions will prove how unexpected that theme may be.

Text and images provided by FotoFestiwal 2015

Prism Photo magazine #21 has finally arrived, 170 pages filled with amazing content from 17 photographers: Anika Schwarzlose, Hyounsang Yoo, Kamil Sleszynski, Ana Bathe, Ayumi Tanaka, Claudio Rasano, Stefano Marchionini, Won Kim, Yulia Krivich, JM Ramirez-Suassi.

We also present ATONAL Collective part 2 featuring Igor Pisuk, Jannis Tordheim and Magdalena Switek and by courtesy of Daniel Blau Gallery their four winners of 2015 edition of 5 UNDER 30 - Third Annual Young Photographers' Competition: Melissa Arras, Alan Knox, Julia Parks and Michael Radford.

Enjoy and share at will <3

prism is thrilled to invite you all to the exhibition by Michal Luczak entitled "Brutal Retrospective" to be held in Doomed Gallery London from 5th to 8th November 2015. As much as we are excited to media partnership on this exhibition we are happy to announce we will also be able to share a detailed insight on Michal's work in the upcoming #22 Q4/2015 issue of prism to be launched mid November.



About BRUTAL: Katowice Railway Station, constructed in 1972, was a high-standard building. Raw, concrete constructions were at the time a symbol of modernity and prosperity of Polish People’s Republic. Only a decade later neglected building began to fall into ruins. Even 22 years of independent Poland didn’t help and the condition of the building continued to fall. Nobody felt responsible for it.

The ruin in the city centre of the biggest, post-industrial coal-mining district in the country started to live its own life. On one hand it was still a place where people get on and off the train but on the other it became an area of uncommon "passengers" who didn't have any tickets and never got on any train.



Hanging around with an old-fashioned Graflex author unintentionally became one of those who  were not travelling from A to B. The people started asking him questions. Mostly they were asking for money to get a drink or food but sometimes also to be photographed. As he says they were the ones who created in there some kind of a parallel world which existed on the sidelines of normal life.

Brutal © Michal Luczak

Finally the Station was destroyed at the beginning of 2011 and the people he met also disappeared. Now a modern glass-and-steel shopping mall with a space for train passengers was constructed in its place. It was the last significant example of brutalist architecture in Poland.

Exhibition theme is related to work with the archives. It aims to recreate picture of the place which does not exist in a real world anymore. The main components of the exhibition are: photographs, photobook, related text and architectural plans. The foundation for the whole concept here is the photography; taken out of author’s context, in relation to documentary role of the medium. Contrary to the book, where narration of the story takes the first place, photographs work as a “proof of existence” for particular places and characters. Construction of the photography carries similarities with the character of human’ memory: gaps in between particular parts and associational perception of the medium. Related architectonical text, from the period of the formation of the building, gives more detailed description of its functionality, arrangements of the space and specific parameters. It also explains the origins of the whole construction. The theoretical argumentation hasn’t been yet confirmed throughout the practical use, at the time. Reproductions of the original architectural drawings depict primary plans of the building.

Brutal © Michal Luczak

Michal Luczak Brutal Retrospective 

5th – 8th November 2015
Private View 5th November 2015, 6-9pm

Doomed Gallery, 65/67 Ridley Road, Dalston, E8 2NP
Gallery opening hours Friday – Sunday 11 – 6pm

Warsaw Photo Days Festival of Photography was founded in 2013 at the initiative of the Warsaw District of the Association of Polish Art Photographers ZPAF that is simultaneously an organizer of the event.

The third edition of the festival will be held in November 2015 and will be wrapped around the theme of TESTOSTERON. The Main Programme in Warsaw galleries will feature thirteen individual projects selected through a competition addressed to visual artists. The main plot of the show is aimed to visually analyze and put the idea of masculinity into question.

Warsaw Photo Days 2015

Testosterone, as understood broadly, can be used under the theme of the contest, as an intellectual shortcut, is identified with the life force of the human species that drives the pace of men’s and women’s life. It is a subject to constant revisions by civilization and society, in both physical and mental sphere, and is being redefined by successive generations and expressed in many ways. The projects selected and included in the programme are supposed to help us to familiarize ourselves with the ways of photographic depiction of contemporary archetypes of masculinity - its attributes, strengths and vulnerabilities.

We asked Katarzyna Majak, from the jury panel and a person behind the festival, to share her view on the theme of the festival, artists selected and their work:

KM: We live in the times of crisis of the narrative. This statement is probably not particularly revealing, though still surprising may be tracking the variety of its consequences. This is where, I think, crucial artistic discourse of this year's Warsaw Festival of Photography plays out.




The traditional concepts defining our identity or questioning sexuality have become problematic.
The roles, models and criteria, so clearly defined in the traditional approach, proved to be too explicit. The corset has been cast off. Now one has to learn how to get around without it. Nowhere perhaps the cultural turmoil, referred to herein, has not revealed itself as clearly as in the erosion of the established patterns of masculinity. In this context, the review of photographic works collected under the meaningful title "Testosterone" is likely to become a source of interesting reflections and observations.

The intricate paths of male sexuality find an unexpected happy ending in Magda Rakita’s story about a very mature man who overcame profound trauma and found the harmony back with his erotic destiny. "Cosmo was murdered That Night" is a short movie based mainly on photographs and an interview with a 70-year old man about his sex life. Joey shows us his world and the path he has followed for more than 25 years (since he was raped); life in celibacy to rediscover his sexuality.

Masculinity is also a fatherhood. Project by Natalia Reznik: "Looking for my father" is a story about how important the role of a father figure is in our contemporary consciousness. Where reality somehow fails, imagination feels imperative to complete the missing link in the chain of family connections. The father figure is created based on cultural archetypes and their incarnations, such as film screen lovers. Life is mixed with fantasy in pursuit of still indispensable figure of a model father.

Boys from El Clot © Jorge Lopez Munoz

Placed in the context of urban slums, a youthful masculinity from the "Boys from El Clot" project by Jorge Lopez Munoz reveals the paradox of male vitality trying in vain to find an outlet under social degradation and exclusion, so characteristic of the modern urban agglomerations. The same vitality, not so youthful, but undoubtedly driven by testosterone, controls rivalry in the political field, especially its highly conventional image in the media coverage that blurs any authenticity. This problem can be seen in Borut Krajnc’s images, showing a series of media incarnations of a Slovenian politician Borut Pahor from his presidential campaign. When sport or politics cease to exist, this - conditioned by hormones - tireless male activity finds various alternatives, some sort of "ersatz" of real action so typical for everyday life of a modern man. With quite good amount of amusement, Szabolcs Barakonyi is reviewing these alternative actions in his "To Do" project.

from 'To Do'series © Szabolcs Barakonyi

The modern man has less and less areas where he can pursue his gender-based and stereotypically marked by aggressive attitude - activity. As a result, on a daily basis, it finds an outlet even in driving a car with a cavalryman’s flair. The dramatic and spectacular consequences of such a situation on the roads of Australia, where the driver has certainly enough room to reach high speeds and be like  Mad Max, are presented under the "LOSTRALIA - Terra Testosteronis" by Boris Eldagsen.
Another example of an alternative activity of a man entrapped by too orderly & smooth modernity on the one hand and the cry of testosterone on the other hand, is certainly bodybuilding, even if its aesthetic effect in the social perception may seem dubious. As a sign of the times determining the current status of masculinity, it appears in the "Ripped" project by Brian J. Morrison.

Man and Woman, Ripped, Chiselled and Rock Hard © Brian J. Morrison

Relativization of gender patterns deprived the image of masculinity of its former unambiguousness. The boundaries defining the status of the man and woman are blurring, which encourages their crossing and creative move, as well experimenting in this field. This is evident, for example, in the "Cyber ghetto" project by Alice Söderlund. Testosterone itself becomes a sign of the suspect & distorted masculinity as in the works by Arni Gudmundsson and Cristian Rieloff.

Tattooing, from 'Cyber Ghetto' series © Alice Soderlund

Big Thinkers © Arni Gudmundson & Cristian Rieloff

Awareness of the fundamental distinction of what is masculine and what is feminine, remains alive, though perhaps not as unchallengeable as it once was. This separation comes close even to the lack of communication, which is shown in the series of works by Mary Hamill: "Objects of Desire", trying in some way to "overcome" this lack.

Untitled, from Objects of Desire © Mary Hamill

Visions of the tormented, almost Kafkaesque masculinity from Igor Pisuk’s autobiographical implementation can show very clearly how ambiguous and susceptible to varying interpretations today is the status of masculinity, conventionally determined by the influence of testosterone. As the works of this year's festival show, this may be a sign of both the crisis and a new start. Masculinity is dead, long live masculinity!

We have finally arrived at that time of the year when all we need is to reconnect with dear ones we love and care about, recharge our batteries and simply relax together! Here at prism we would like to wish you all a very merry, peaceful and wonderful Christmas and inspiring and prosperous New Year! We would also like to thank you all, friends, partners and photographers for your great, continuous support and beautiful contributions during 2015. We are looking forward to joining you in 2016 and discover more and more amazing photography!

We also present ATONAL Collective part 2 featuring Igor Pisuk, Jannis Tordheim and Magdalena Switek and by courtesy of Daniel Blau Gallery their four winners of 2015 edition of 5 UNDER 30 - Third Annual Young Photographers' Competition: Melissa Arras, Alan Knox, Julia Parks and Michael Radford.

Enjoy and share at will <3

URBAN 2016 Photo Awards, International contest organized by Italian cultural association dotART in partnership with Photographers.it, is accepting entries from Sunday February 14th, 2016.

Now in its seventh edition, URBAN sees every year thousands of participating pictures and hundreds of participants from all over the world. It is an growing international contest, one of the very few that goes "over the boundaries" of Internet, providing emerging talents with real visibility through dozens of international photo exhibitions. Only in 2015 URBAN organised 28 exhibitions  displaying about 600 pictures. Behind it all, there is always the pursue of enhancement of photographic talent and quality.

URBAN 2016 is divided into two sections: one is dedicated to "Themed Photos", with its main theme about Street Photography,  which has formerly given the name to the contest since its first edition. In addition to street, URBAN 2016 will carry two more themes: Sports and Nature. The other section is "Projects & Portfolios" where each participant can submit a series of images oriented to show their ideas through photographs.

Michele Rieri, URBAN2015 contestant, ranked 3 in Street Photography

To take part, just follow the instructions here. Works must be submitted no later than May 31st, 2016. Professional artists, photographers and communication experts will judge entries and choose the winners, and we are happy to announce prism's founder and editor, Karol Liver will happen to be among them.

The total prize money is more than € 3,000. This edition, URBAN will also partnership with the Zavičajni muzej Poreštine of Poreč (Museum of the Parentine Territory of Poreč), the oldest museum of Istria, Croatia. Three ranked photographers from the "Projects & Portfolios" section – the Winner and two photographers selected directly by the curators of the museum – will see their works exhibited in the Museum from July 21st to August 31st. The museum will also release an official certificate of exhibition.

Other than regular prizes, URBAN gives the chance to the best ranked photographers to enter its tour of travelling photo exhibitions, the real and tangible value of this contest. Since 2011 URBAN has setup exhibitions in Poland (Krakow and Warsaw), Hungary (Budapest, Pécs and Miskolc), Cyprus (limassol, Paphos and Nicosia), Latvia (Riga), Slovenia (Koper), Ukraine (Sumy), Colombia (Bucaramanga) and naturally, in Italy (Trieste and Rome). URBAN exhibitions will summit in October during Trieste Photo Days 2016, the international photo festival promoted by dotART.  This growing festival that will get to its third edition, has URBAN as its "main contributor" during the opening days. There will be the Award Ceremony and the Winners' Exhibition other than a series of personal and group exhibits around the city.

Submissions are open till May 31st, 2016.

POPCAP‘16, piclet.org Prize for Contemporary African Photography: Shortlist announced

POPCAP the piclet.org Prize for Contemporary African Photography is very happy to announce its short list of 20 artists for its fifth anniversary edition. The finalists were selected from 900 applicants from 94 countries by a panel of 20 internationally-sourced judges. The five prize winners will be announced on March 7 2016.

POPCAP aims to raise the profile of African photography within the arts and encourage a generally rethinking of the image of Africa. Every year five winners are selected by an internationally-sourced panel of judges, enabling the promotion of African photograph worldwide. It is important to us that the judging panel be diverse, as this helps us to avoid geographically and culturally one-sided views of the portfolios. POPCAP is open to artists of any age and descent. Photographic series must consist of a minimum of 10 images, and may not exceed 25 images. There is no entry fee.

Jason Larkin, Waiting

THE SHORT LIST

The following 20 artists were selected from 900 applicants from 94 countries by a panel of 20 international experts within the field of photography.

Aderemi Adegbite
Laeila Adjovi
Alia Ali
Héla Ammar
Roger Anis
Scarlett Coten
Domenico d'Alessandro
Valeria Gradizzi
Tytus Grodzicki
Wiame Haddad

Nadav Kander, Johannesburg and Soweto

Nadav Kander
Jason Larkin
Augustin Le Gall
Sabelo Mlangeni
Manyatsa Monyamane
Henry Nicolas
Thom Pierce
Filippo Romano
Julia Runge
Georges Senga

The five winners will be announced on March 7 2016.


ABOUT POPCAP

POPCAP aims to raise the profile of African photography within the arts. Each year five winners are selected by an internationally sourced panel of judges, enabling the promotion of African photography worldwide. It is important to us that the judging panel be diverse, as this helps us to avoid geographically and culturally one-sided views of the portfolios. Due to its extensive application in a day-to-day context, we consider photography to be the ideal medium through which to foster an unhindered exchange of ideas about the image of Africa. POPCAP was initiated by Benjamin Füglister in 2012. For the fifth anniversary edition in 2016 we received a total of 900 submissions from artists from 94 countries. 54% of these applicants came from African countries, which is an increase of 7% compared to the previous year. The five prize winners will be announced on March 7 2016. Their work will be presented at a series of international exhibitions being held in collaboration with major photography festivals.

prism is proudly providing POPCAP with a media partnership since the beginning of the prize.

We are thrilled to announce the five winners of the fifth International photography competition POPCAP '16 prize.  The award aims to foster interest in and support for contemporary African photography. This year’s winners from South Africa, Jersey, England, France and Germany were chosen by an international panel of 20 renowned judges from 900 applications from 94 countries. The winning artists will have their works presented at a series of international exhibitions and are invited to take part in an artists’ residency program And the Winners are (drums, please):

Jason Larkin - Born in 1979 in London, England. Lives in London, England:

35 minutes, from Waiting, 2013-2015, Jason Larkin

Sabelo Mlangeni - Born in 1980 in Driefontein, South Africa. Lives in Johannesburg, South Africa:

Thapelo and Malira Mamiala, Mohale/s Hoek, from Isivumelwano: An Agreement 2003-2014, Sabelo Mlangeni

Henry Nicolas - Born in 1978 in St Denis, France. Lives in les Mesnuls, France:

Indian and Cowboys Movie, from African Tales from Today, 2012-2014, Nicolas Henry

Thom Pierce -  Born in 1978 in St Helier, England. Lives in Cape Town, South Africa:

Patrick Sitwayi (with Asive Bingwa) worked in the gold mines for 22 years. He has silicosis and received no compensation, from The Price of Gold, 2015, ​Thom Pierce

Julia Runge - Born in 1990 in Berlin, Germany. Lives in Berlin, Germany:

Chomma, from Basterland, 2015, Julia Runge

We will present profiles of winner photographers in the next issue of prism #24 in May.

While history painting is constructed around narrative, still life is the world minus its narratives or, better, the world minus its capacity for generating narrative interest. To narrate is to name what is unique: the singular actions of individual persons. And narrative works hard to explain why any particular story is worth narrating – because the actions in the story are heroic or wonderful, or frightening or ignoble, or cautionary or instructive. 

The whole principle of story-telling is jeopardized or paralyzed by the hearer’s objection: ‘so what?’ But still life loves the ‘so what?’ It exactly breaks with the narrative’s scale of human importance.  

Bryson, Norman. Looking At The Overlooked 

SO WHAT is concept conceived by the cutting edge London based contemporary photography Doomed Gallery, in collaboration with Fresh From Poland showing at i! Gallery in Krakow. SO WHAT premiered in London November 2015 at Doomed Gallery, where it was a raging success.



SO WHAT celebrates emerging and established international still life photographers, presenting a range from traditional approaches to otherworldly surrealist structures.

Ken Flaherty and Matt Martin, the creators of the SO WHAT concept note that the exhibition “focuses on the depiction of wittingly constructed inanimate that seem to offer more questions that answers”. These works allow us to view familiar and mundane items to form new perspectives through different creative mediums such as painting, sculpture and photography.

Unframed images have been arranged in the grid-like composition creating visual association with the aesthetics of the post-internet era. Curators’ intention is to shift the focus from the particular, single creation to the abstract conception of the contemporary still life and its surroundings. The notion relates closely to the Magda Buczek’s performance Random selection, “a loose story about a travel with its visual itinerary collected on Tumblr”, presented at the gallery in parallel over the duration of the exhibition.

photograph Etienne Courtois / press release mat.

photograph by Roxana Azar / press release mat.

This show includes the work of both established and aspiring artists: Roxana Azar, Katarzyna Balicka, Filip Berendt, Magda Buczek, Justyna Chrobot, Jack Carvosso, Etienne Courtois, Dorotka Kaczmarek, KangHee Kim, Kasia Klimpel, Abel Minnee, Natalia Podgórska , Georg Parthen, Ben Swanson

Curators: Anna Sophia John, Gosia Fricze, Grazyna Siedlecka

14 -27 May 2016
i! Gallery, Jozefinska 21, 33 -332 Krakow, Poland
Private view: 13 May 2016, 7pm

A selection of artist form the exhibition will also be presented in the upcoming issue of prism.

design by Ewa Goral / photo by Kuba Mozolewski

Doomed Gallery Dalston is proud to present the third edition of SO WHAT that will focus on contemporary Polish still life photography. We have invited Fresh From Poland to co-curate the show alongside our curator Anna-Sophia John. This is the second issue of our So What x Poland show featuring an immersive piece by Magda Buczek. Since the first collaborative show in Krakow, exhibited as part of the Fringe Festival, the project has evolved through the exploration of photography’s contemporary still life scene. The gallery and photography platform Doomed has provided a playground for this ongoing discourse to flourish - encouraging an exchange with different countries and cultures.

photo by Filip Berndt

So What Poland includes the work of established up and coming Polish artists that are concerned with documenting the situations of our present domestic landscapes. The photographs focus on the depiction of wittily constructed inanimate objects - ranging from traditional approaches to otherworldly surreal structures; these works allow us to view contemporary familiar and mundane items from a new perspective through borrowing technical characteristics from collage, painting, sculpture and photography.

photo by Magda Buczek

The still life genre is concerned with the documentation of inanimate objects over time through mediums that are appropriate to a particular period. As we are increasingly enhancing our reality with online platforms and screen-based imagery, the objects that we engage with and our experiences have transformed. Our lives have become subject to an online/offline pendulum that draws on a new array of senses and further challenges the concept of image and text materially.

photo by Natalia Podgórska

For this edition we asked the Polish artist Magda Buczek to explore what might happen to the still life image in a post internet era. How will these developments shape the future of the still life genre? What medium will we chose to express these multidimensional situations that make up the future and continuously evolving domestic landscapes? Buczek challenges these ideas in her installation SLOW DOWNLOAD - an immersive project fueled with gifs and Instagram-enhanced colours that tell the story of a jet-set generation stuck between the offline and the online.

Please join us at Doomed Gallery Dalston for the opening of So What Poland ft. Slow Download on Thursday 2nd February 2017 from 6-9pm. The show will continue until Sunday the 5th February 7pm.

Friday, the 3rd at 7pm we are hosting an artist talk: Magda Buczek in conversation with the curators Anna-Sophia John and Gosia Fricze.

Doomed Gallery
65 Ridley Rd, London
2-5  February  2017

ARTISTS: Katarzyna  Balicka, Filip  Berendt, Magda  Buczek, Justyna  Chrobot, Dorotka Kaczmarek, Kasia  Klimpel, Kuba  Mozolewski, Natalia  Podgórska

CURATORS: Anna-Sophia John, Gosia Fricze, Grazyna  Siedlecka

ORGANISED by: Doomed  Gallery, Fresh From Poland

PARTNERS: prism Magazine, University of Westminster - Westphoto

Hello there. Karol Liver here, prism's father and main editor. Who said changes aren't good. They sure are, keeping your life in motion and providing you with new stimuli to boost your creative flux. I am currently on a tour de force around mother Gaia on a quest of self exploration and expansion and, as prism is my beloved offspring, my state of personal affairs and rather adventurous period of my life influence and also morph its shape into something new. To make things loud and clear and brief, prism is all well and alive, but getting new spectral clothes!


While the formula of prism - editorial collective dedicated to comtemporary photographic medium - represented by e-mag, blog and curatorial initiative remains untouched, the weight between those three pillars is going to be redistributed slightly. 

My focus is now being adjusted towards fluid, re-shareable content, that on social media and blogsphere in particular. I see prism network as a multi-platform that allows artists, both established and emerging talents, to be seen and their work discussed and accessed easily via various spaces. I was always sad to see 80% of amazing submissions never being published in the final e-magazine, only due to a limited capacity I could offer. I simply never found this efficient enough and in line with the main idea of prism, which is to expose. 

Our beautiful army of followers is going strong in numbers with over 10k followers on various social network platforms (6.6k on fb, 1.3k on twitter and 1.2 on issuu), so let's feed those beautiful eyes with more inspirational content and use prism's multiverse to benefit the above mentioned cause.

The e-magazine, in the PDF format is to be changed to a yearly digital "book" - a selection of the best of the best of contemporary photography, distributed digitally and, fingers all crossed, physically too. I see this exclusive annual publication as carefully crafted selection of the best of the best from prism's network, including the new format of the magazine that I am just about to launch. Let me explain.

Tomorrow, a new chapter of prism will be opened, with a new issue of prism #25 called GHOST, as this time things will be slightly different, and more.. ghostly. Fear not, as this only indicates prism transition from its previous closed PDF shape into more phantom, spectral, ethereal form, you name it. Instead of a fixed file, that I personally found difficult to distribute freely (and with all those issues with issuu censorship etc. not also nice sometimes), I will now feature photographers from our submission process on our blog directly (You are here, so I guess you have found the way to here safely). Every couple of days we will present you with a new name to discover and remember. Once fifteen consecutive photographers are featured on blog the ghostly issue will be sealed. So it's even me, chief editor, who does not know the final shape of the upcoming issue that will launch tomorrow. It will appear from the mist of our unlimited creative potential. It's an experiment that I find super cool and am extremely excited about. 

Also, the biggest change that I will expose in more details is the drift I want prism to sail in the upcoming months, opening its space for young curators and editors. The idea is simple - I see it as open source platform to be used by curators and editors, especially young ones who are looking for a network to publish their work on and be seen. The place is here, the network is created, the audience is there. You don't know where to start? Be my guest. I will expand on this idea in the next few weeks when frames for this endeavour is constructed, for now I am just crazy excited about moving this forward. 

My brief talk is about to conclude, so please stay tuned dear lovely folks and check out our space tomorrow. Something ghostly this way comes!

Peace and love, 
Karol

URBAN 2017 Photo Awards, international contest organized by Italian cultural association dotART together with media partners Photographers.it and Sprea Fotografia, will accept entries from Tuesday, February 14th, 2017.

Now in its eighth edition, URBAN sees every year thousands of participating pictures and hundreds of participants from all over the world. It is an always growing international contest, one of the very few that goes "over the boundaries" of Internet offering to photographers real visibility through dozens of international photo exhibitions. Only in 2016 URBAN realized 32 exhibitions displaying about 700 pictures. Behind it all, there is always the pursue of enhancement of photographic talent and quality.

URBAN 2017 is divided into two sections dedicated to Urban Photography, a theme that explores the contemporary through all forms of photography based in the urban fabric. The common denominator is the City, the urban environment and humanity that populates it. The first section is “Themed Photos” (with 7 thematic areas: Street Photography, Architecture, Social City, Urban Art, Transport, Green Life, Visions), the second is “Projects & Portfolios” where each participant can submit a series of images oriented to show his or her idea through photographs.

To take part, just follow the instructions on URBAN Photo Award website.

Works must be submitted no later than May 31st, 2017 and will be selected by a prestigious Jury composed by: Italian photographer Maurizio Galimberti (Jury President, international photographer and artist famous for its Polaroid mosaics), Monika Bulaj (photographer, reporter and filmmaker), Denis Curti (“Casa dei Tre Oci” museum in Venice art director), Elena Uljančić-Veki (director of Poreč Museum, Croatia), Karol Liver (international photographer and founder and chief editor of prism photo editorial collective), Aida Muluneh (Ethiopian photographer and founder of Addis Foto Fest, the biggest African photo festival), Angelo Cucchetto (founder of Photographers.it and Trieste Photo Days art director), Polish street photographer Ania Klosek, Indian naturalist photographer Rathika Ramsamy, Bob Patterson (Street photographer Magazine editor), Grzegorz Kosmala (doc! magazine photo editor) and other artists that will be announced shortly.

As Jury President, Maurizio Galimberti will choose and award URBAN 2017 Winner at the end of October during Trieste Photo Days 2017, international photography festival organized by dotART. The festival, now in its fourth edition, has in URBAN his main "cultural container" and will host the awards ceremony, the final exhibition of the contest, and a series of exhibitions, personal and collective, of the best photos and classified projects.

The total prize money is more than € 4,000 (€ 1,300 for the Winner). There will also be other prizes offered by URBAN’s technical partners. The best photos will be published on URBAN unveils the city and its secrets photobook.

Other than regular prizes, URBAN gives the chance to the best ranked photographers to enter its tour of travelling photo exhibitions, the real and tangible value of this contest. Since 2011 URBAN has setup exhibitions in Poland (Krakow, Łódź and Warsaw), Hungary (Budapest, Pécs and Miskolc), Germany (Berlin), Cyprus (Limassol, Paphos and Nicosia), Latvia (Riga), Croatia (Poreč), Slovenia (Koper), Ukraine (Sumy), Colombia (Bucaramanga) and Italy (Trieste and Rome).

Subscription are open till May 31st, 2017 on www.urbanphotoawards.com.

Info:
dotART
Headquarters: Via San Francesco 6 – Trieste – Italy
Phone +39 040 3720617 - Mob. +39 338 3261943 - info@dotart.it

www.urbanphotoawards.com
www.facebook.com/UrbanPhotoContest
www.twitter.com/urbanlifephoto

‘Lost Place’ tells the story about Metanoia, the Catholic Center for Education and Addiction Therapy. The facility helps young people addicted to drugs and alcohol. Located in the Knyszynska Forest in Poland, it occupies the former administration building Agroma factories which, in the past, produced agricultural machinery, home appliances, and likely also weapons.



This is a place without an address, in the middle of the woods. The walls of the forgotten fabric make it so hard to see. Make it invisible. This is the place, where some people have found their asylum. Without old thoughts, buddies and drugs.

This subject is a direct result of Kamil's previous project ‘Input/Output’ (featured in prism #21), which consists of photographs made within prisons and a re-entry center that supports ex-prisoners. "While working on it, it turned out that many of my subjects went to jail because of drugs or alcohol, and I wanted to get to the root of the problem."

Lost Place, 2016 © Kamil Sleszynski

Lost Place, 2016 © Kamil Sleszynski

Lost Place, 2016 © Kamil Sleszynski

Lost Place, 2016 © Kamil Sleszynski

Lost Place, 2016 © Kamil Sleszynski

Kamil Sleszynski is a self-taught documentary photographer based in Bialystok, Poland. He works on long-term projects that focus on the complex relationships between people. He often photographs with a large-format camera. "I liked using it for this work because it interested many of the people I photographed, as did the old style photographic techniques you had to use to operate the camera. Most of my subjects have never seen such equipment and it always is a brand new experience for them which really helps a lot, and lessens the distance and unfamiliarity. On the other hand, I had a limited number of shots which made me have to concentrate and focus more on what I was doing."

Kamil Sleszynski's website