Thames & Hudson Presents: Peter Van Agtmael In conversation with Sean O’Hagan
Magnum photographer and photojournalist Peter van Agtmael discusses his chronicling of post-9/11 America with journalist Sean O’Hagan. Fuelled by ideology, insecurity, ambition and a deep fascination with war, van Agtmael began documenting America’s war in Iraq in 2006, beginning a photographic odyssey that would span nearly two decades. His photography confronts the mythologizing of war and the seductive nature of conflict on the American psyche, with later images interrogating the imprints of nationalism, the election of Donald Trump, and race and class in American society. As the USA prepares for yet another divisive election later this year, this talk will explore the evolution of the America we see today.
Ticket Price: Free with Photo London Ticket
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Speakers
Peter van Agtmael
Peter van Agtmael is an American photographer based in Paris, and has been a full member of Magnum Photos since 2013. His previous books include Disco Night Sept 11 and Sorry for the War. Van Agtmael is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, the W. Eugene Smith Fund Grant, the ICP Infinity Award for Young Photographer, the LUMIX FREELENS Award, the Aaron Siskind Grant and several World Press Photo Awards. He has been a mentor in the Arab Documentary Photography Program in Beirut since 2014.
Sean O’Hagen
Sean O’Hagan is a feature writer for the Observer, specialising in art, photography and culture. He has contributed essays to several photography books and been the recipient of an award from the Royal Photographic Society for ‘major achievement in the field of photographic criticism’. In 2022, he collaborated with the musician, Nick Cave, on the best-selling book, Faith, Hope and Carnage (Canongate), a meditation on creativity, faith, life and loss.