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Photography & International Conflict
25-26 June 2009
This conference brought together scholars and practitioners in a diverse range of fields- including visual media, cultural studies, language and literature, and international relations- to examine the roles of image producers and the functions of photographic imagery in the documentation and communication of wars, violent conflicts and human rights issues. The conference was the first major event of the Photography & International Conflict project, with more to come. Broad topics covered by panels included: Photography & the Iraq War, Photographic Subjects & Ethics of Representation, Conflict & Human Rights Photography in Israel/Palestine, Representing Conflict in Popular Media: Vietnam to Present, Display & Distribution: How Photographs Perform and Memory & Perception: New Studies in Conflict Photography.
The conference was additionally enhanced by three plenary sessions and a final roundtable discussion, which were recorded and can be watched here. Each was divided into roughly 15 minute sections, listed in order, to facilitate online viewing.
Plenary I- What is Photography?- Ariella Azoulay, Bar Ilan University
Plenary II- Post-photojournalism? New Directions & Strategies- Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, London College of Communication and Tom Keenan, Bard College & Carles Guerra, Barcelona-based artist and curator
Plenary III- Photographic Practices in a Global Context- Shahidul Alam, Drik Picture Gallery and Paul Lowe, University of the Arts London & London College of Communication
Final Roundtable- What is a Conflict Photograph?- A discussion of Anthony Suau's 2008 World Press Photo award-winning photograph (with introduction by Liam Kennedy) and discussion of the Neda Agha-Soltan video/image and citizen photography during protests in Iran (June 2009) with introduction by Tom Keenan.
