This two-day symposium brings together leading photographers, scientists, theoreticians, historians, and philosophers, drawing from the faculty at Parsons, professionals in science and technology, and experts from external institutions to reflect on and discuss photography at a pivotal moment in its history.
The field of photography is constantly changing. What constitutes a “photographer” or a “photograph” has always been redefined by technological innovations. In the last two decades, the digital revolution and the Internet have enabled us to quickly develop new photographic processes, rapidly altering our definition of photography. One might even say that the present state of photography is similar to that of the time of its invention, when the form’s emerging cultural significance swiftly expanded as a result of technological innovations. “The Photographic Universe: A Conference” reflects on this current moment, with the pervasive digitalization of the medium and its speedy permeation into contemporary life. Prominent thinkers and practitioners from a variety of artistic, scientific, cultural, and sociopolitical backgrounds discuss their role in the growing the field of photography, evaluate its increasingly blurry relationship between art and life, and speculate how photographic images will continue to change the way we see our world.
The conference features one-on-one conversations between individuals from disparate professional and research backgrounds. Each speaker contributes a 10-minute presentation on the subject of photography, followed by a 20-minute dialogue between presenters.
Guest speakers include: Richard Benson, Chris Boot, Susie Linfield, Walter Benn Michaels, Charlotte Cotton, Andrea Geyer, David Reinfurt, Trevor Paglen, Penelope Umbrico, James Welling, and representatives from Adobe Systems, MIT Media Lab, and Google, as well as others to be announced.
New York City, NY; NYC