Photography as Apparatus: Akram Zaatari in Conversation with Anthony Downey

Anthony Downey (Corresponding / Lead Author)

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract


    Photographs are affected by their means of production, reproduction, and distribution. The social and political economy in which they circu- late, in turn, imbricates the very fabric and content of a photograph. In this extensive con- versation with Akram Zaatari, these implications are explored, and the ramifications for photog- raphy as an archival form are questioned. A member and co-founder of the Arab Image Foundation (AIF), a nonprofit organization established in Beirut in 1997, Zaatari discusses the idea that the archival impulse has decontex- tualized original images by taking them out of their social and political economy, viewing the layers added to images through wear and tear as additions of meaning in the life of a photograph. The conflicting views of preservation versus archaeological, artistic, or anthropological imper- atives are also discussed, within a dialogue that considers the changing nature of photography as a practice across the region and beyond.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)218
    Number of pages230
    JournalCritical Interventions Journal of African Art History and Visual Culture
    Volume12
    Issue number2
    Publication statusPublished (VoR) - 19 Feb 2019

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