On 14 January 1971, The Photographers’ Gallery opened its doors with The Concerned Photographer, an exhibition that had previously been shown in the United States, Switzerland and Japan, and which presented photography as the optimum medium to document social conditions. This online conference has been organised to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of The Photographers’ Gallery in 1971 and will explore the legacy of its innovative programming within broader infrastructures of exhibition, display and photographic practice, from the 1970s to the present day.

This is the final day in a series of talks, presentations and discussion taking place across two weeks in November and December that will showcase new research and practices focusing on the histories of photography in Britain over the last 50 years. The event will also offer a space for thinking about the future of the medium and its display, with panels addressing topics such as exhibitions & touring and archival practices. The day concludes with a keynote presentation by artist Antonio Roberts 

Please click here for more information on sessions taking place on Thursday 25 November and Wednesday 1 December. Full programme available for download below. 

This conference will be held entirely online and is a collaboration between the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and The Photographers’ Gallery. 

Schedule (all times listed in GMT)

10.30 Welcome

Exhibitions & Touring

10.45 Introduction by James Boaden (University of York)
10.50 Ruby Rees-Sheridan (Four Corners), ‘On The Move: The Half Moon Photography Workshop’s Exhibitions Comments Book’
11.05 Caitlin Langford (Victoria and Albert Museum), Occupying Space: Signals, The Festival of Women Photographs, 1994
11.50 Theo Gordon (Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C), 'Putting Salford in the Picture: Viewpoint Gallery of Photography and the 1980s
12.05 Laura Castagnini (Curator and Writer), Stolen Glances: Lesbians Take Photographs Curated by Tessa Boffin and Jean Fraser in 1991

Archival Futures

14.05 Introduction by Rahaab Allana (Alkazi Foundation for the Arts)
14.10 Charlene Heath (SSHRC Doctoral Fellow and PhD Candidate at Ryerson/York University (Toronto), ‘Archival Work: The Survival of Jo Spence’s Polemic’
14.25 Fiona Anderson (Newcastle University), Sunil Gupta and Archival Ambivalence in Queer British Photography

Artist Keynote

15.20 Presentation by Antonio Roberts, moderated by Arieh Frosh (The Photographers' Gallery)

Ticketing

Be part of the conversation live over Zoom – book to receive your log in details. If you're unable to join the live conversation, the talk will later be published here and on our YouTube channel.

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