Online Talks Programme

Photo London’s online talks largely take place before the Fair opens on 10 May as an exciting pre-fair programme to complement the eighth edition. All talks are free of charge. Providing listeners with a unique insight into some of the world’s most exciting voices in the medium, expect to hear lively talks, debates and discussions to broaden – and deepen – your understanding of photography.  

MONDAY 24 APRIL

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
Photographing the Bayeux Tapestry
Sparked by a set of 19th century glass plate negatives, this talk will discuss the first photographic campaign to record the Bayeux Tapestry, which brought it to prominence as an iconic artwork in the British imagination. Photographing the Tapestry was an innovative process undertaken for the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) in 1872. Special techniques and equipment including solar enlargement, photocollage and hand-painting were combined to make a 214 foot long coloured photograph representing the Tapestry at life size scale. This object played a vital role in understanding the Tapestry in Britain for decades afterwards and generated further copies in other media including the 1886 embroidered copy of the tapestry made by the Leek Embroidery Society, now in Reading Museum. This talk will place the first photography campaign of the Tapestry within current research into institutional photographic practices, cultural diplomacy through photography, and photographic replication of artworks.
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TUESDAY 25 APRIL

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
Maisie Cousins in conversation with Charlotte Jansen and Hannah Watson
Maisie Cousins speaks to writer Charlotte Jansen and Director of contemporary art gallery TJ Boulting and publisher Trolley Books Hannah Watson, on her new body of work and the role of AI in photography today.
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WEDNESDAY 26 APRIL  

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
Prix Pictet: Fiona Shields in conversation with Mandy Barker and Alice Mann
The monograph Collage: Women of the Prix Pictet Since 2008 was released late last year to great acclaim. Here Guest Editor and Head of Photography at the Guardian Fiona Shields talks to photographers Alice Mann (Drummies) and Mandy Barker (CROWN 2.5L) about their series and opens up the question: Can we identify female photography or do we agree with Eve Arnold: ‘I do think that women think differently and have something to offer that men don’t have.’
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THURSDAY 27 APRIL

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
Jim Casper in conversation with Jeff Cowen
A discussion on Jeff Cowen’s painterly photographic and darkroom work, and his quest to push he boundaries of photography as a medium. Cowen is interested in mating the power of painting with the power of photography. Working solely in analogue, he endeavours to make the unfathomable and sublime visible. All the works are silver-gelatine prints and handmade in his customised darkroom. The images on view with WILLAS contemporary in booth W08 during Photo London are a selection from Jeff Cowen’s practice during his Berlin years, where he started intensively experimenting with the painterly approaches in the darkroom.
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FRIDAY 28 APRIL

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
THE MYSTERY OF – The Sanchez Brothers in conversation with Adam Leith Gollner
Carlos and Jason Sanchez met Adam Leith Gollner over 20 years ago at the brothers’ first-ever photo exhibition and immediately became lifelong friends. Fast forward to the present day: Carlos and Jason have become award-winning filmmakers, photographers, and screenwriters. Adam is now a celebrated writer, having authored books of literary non-fiction while also working as an investigative reporter for the likes of Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and GQ. The three of them recently collaborated on a new book showcasing the brothers’ work, paired with an in-depth interview and essay by Adam. They invite you to join them for an intimate talk between friends, exploring the brothers’ evolution from art school beatniks to acclaimed artists. The Sanchez brothers’ work is part of many public collections, including The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the National Gallery of Canada, Le Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Foam_Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam, among others.
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TUESDAY 2 MAY 

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
Artist talk: Gideon Mendel talks to Stuart Smith about photographing the climate crisis
Throughout his 40-year career, photographer Gideon Mendel has engaged with contemporary social issues of global concern to create visceral and personal work. In this artist talk he’ll discuss his recent projects Burning World and Drowning World, and why he puts the lives and voices of the people who have been affected by climate change centre frame. Selected works from these two series will be shown at the ARTCO Gallery booth at Photo London 2023. Here Gideon will talk to director and co-founder of GOST Books Stuart Smith about the books he has published with the independent photobook publisher and the exciting future projects they are planning.
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WEDNESDAY 3 MAY  

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
FT Presents The Information Front: How Ukrainian photographers are capturing the war
The Information Front is a series of publications showcasing photographs of the war in Ukraine, taken by photographers from the country. It was founded on the belief that photography can act as a “countermeasure to false truths and propaganda”, bearing witness to the experience of ordinary civilians in conflict zones. For the anniversary the FT Weekend Magazine invited The Information Front to curate 10 artists over 20 pages in print and online. For this talk, two of the Information Front founders Kateryna Radchenko and Donald Weber will be joined by three photographers based in Ukraine.
theinformationfront.com
ft.com
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THURSDAY 4 MAY  

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
Capturing Conflict: Anastasia Taylor-Lind, Alisa Sopova and Greg Brockett in conversation
Made during her time in Ukraine between 2014 and June 2022, these powerful works document the devastating reality of living amidst conflict. Here photographer Anastasia Taylor-Lind and writer Alisa Sopova talk about their long-term collaboration and how together they’ve documented the devastating reality of living amidst conflict and war in Ukraine. Curator Greg Brockett joins the discussion to share his own reaction and learnings to Anastasia’s work while putting together the current exhibition Ukraine: Photographs from the Frontline. Moderated by Max Houghton.
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MONDAY 15 MAY

Zoom, 6pm (BST)
Artist’s talk: Laura Pannack and David Campany
British social documentary and portrait photographer Laura Pannack explores the complex relationship between the subject and the photographer. Her work has been exhibited across the UK and she has been the recipients of a number of prestigious awards. Here she talks to writer, curator of exhibitions and artist David Campany about her evocative imagery. ‘I learn most when I walk with a camera; about myself and the company I share. I engage. I stop mentally. I listen.’
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Interested in attending one of our on-site talks? The 2023 Talks Programme can be found here, all tickets can be booked on the Somerset House website. Nikon talks are free of charge however booking in advance is strongly advised. Please note, talk tickets do not include admission to the Fair, you must have a day ticket to attend the talk. All on-site talks will take place in the Screening Room.

VIEW ON-SITE TALKS