THE EYE IS A LONELY HUNTER
Fotogalleriet is pleased to announce the upcoming group photography exhibition THE EYE IS A LONELY HUNTER – IMAGES OF HUMANKIND which will include internationally acclaimed names like Pieter Hugo, Jacob Holdt, Gohar Dashti and Paolo Woods. The exhibition is curated by Katerina Gregos and Solvej Helweg Ovesen for Fotogalleriet and presents a selection of works earlier shown at the 4th Fotofestival Mannheim_Ludwigshafen_Heidelberg and the Grimmuseum, Berlin, in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
The exhibition is conceived as a photographic case study on the human condition as we enter the second decade of the twenty-first century. Bordering between the practices of documentary and artistic photography, the works present different subjective perspectives of a voyage into the realm of humankind and the challenges we face today. The photographers presented in the exhibition conduct sociological, ethnographic and often counter-anthropological research in the light of globalization, the aftermath of colonialism and collapsed ideologies.
The viewer will bear witness to images that advocate a new photographic humanism, an approach to photography which is more directly engaged, acknowledges the responsibilities and problematics of the politics of representation, and the pitfalls of stereotyping and fiction underlying the capturing of the ‘other’. THE EYE IS A LONELY HUNTER emphasizes direct communication and asks whether constructed pictures can be as true as documentary ones? Can interaction and intimacy from the photographers’ side sometimes replace ‘objective’ social analysis or activism in a survey on the human condition?
The exhibition is accompanied by a series of lectures and talks to present the artists’ projects and discuss the notions of creating counter-anthropological observations, recognition and the base of social change through photographic images.
Ravi Agarwal (India), Said Atabekov (Uzbekistan), Sofia Burchardi & Plamen Bontchev (Denmark / Bulgaria), Gohar Dashti (Iran), Fouad Elkoury (Lebanon), Hasan & Husain Essop (South Africa), Jacob Holdt (Denmark), Pieter Hugo (South Africa), Barbara Metselaar Berthold (Germany), Paolo Woods (Netherlands/Haiti).
Wednesday, 16 January at 19.00: Katerina Gregos gives a presentation on her recent exhibitions including Manifesta 9 and Newtopia: The State of Human Rights (2012), which similar to THE EYE IS A LONELY HUNTER explores the relationship between politics, democracy, new global production circuits and humanism. Lecture in collaboration with The Academy of Fine Art, Oslo
Location: The Academy of Fine Art, Oslo
Thursday, 24 January at 19.00: Barbara Metselaar Berthold gives a presentation related to her work The Tall Tale of Free Will on the transition of the former East Berlin (1978-2011) and screens her documentary film Frozen Margaritas (1998/99), which evolves around the love relationship between homeless Frederick Caruthers and artist Dagmar Demming, while teaching at the Art Centre in Pasadena. The film follows their battle to overcome the prevailing notion of destiny, even taking it to Demming’s next destination, the Oslo Academy of Fine Arts.
Location: Fotogalleriet, Oslo
Thursday, 7 February at 19.00: Teheran-based Gohar Dashti talks about her artistic practice in relation to her work commenting on Iranian daily life including Today’s life and war (2008) shown at Fotogalleriet. Dashti also presents her latest work concerning the supervision of public life in Teheran.
Location: Fotogalleriet, Oslo
Thursday, 14 February at 19.00: Jacob Holdt presents his acclaimed slide show American Pictures, described as a journey through the American underclass demonstrating institutionalized poverty, fear and insecurity. More information on: www.american-pictures.com
Location: Fotogalleriet, Oslo
With generous support of the Freedom of Expression Foundation (Fritt Ord), The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IFA – Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, The Danish Arts Council Committee for Visual Arts and MTAB Exhibition Logistics.
