The world of contemporary photography is set to be showcased through a diverse range of works by various artists at an upcoming exhibition. This event, featuring Tine Poppe, Timon Benson, Lydia Goldblatt, and others, will explore themes of nature, personal identity, and the human experience. As the first ever photography exhibition on the Hill, it carries an important message about how photography itself can serve as a powerful medium for social good.
Norwegian artist and photographer Tine Poppe’s artistic practice is largely dedicated to critiquing the industrialization of agriculture. Her work documents the lives of cut flowers, grown in industrial-scale, multinational, corporate greenhouses. These operations are highly contrary to nature, and they heavily contribute to CO2 emissions. Poppe’s goal is to return audiences back to the original beauty of the natural world through her perspective. This beauty is increasingly at risk of being lost due to environmental degradation.
Timon Benson’s photographs closely explore the experiences of being displaced, lost in one’s isolation, and a stranger to oneself amidst change. His works, like “About to Leave,” explore his complicated relationship with his father. They further shine a light on the differences between living in Kenya and the UK. Benson’s respectful yet evocative tales will strike a chord with anyone who has felt the nuance of family relationships spanning cultures and continents.
This past spring, Lydia Goldblatt was the recipient of the International Photography Exhibition (IPE) award for her project “Fugue.” This work explores motherhood as a central theme, navigating the intricate emotions surrounding love and grief, mothering and losing a mother, as well as intimacy and distance. Goldblatt’s photographs challenge us to more profoundly consider what it means to have complicated maternal connections.
The exhibition features Keerthana Kunnath’s memory card-size art. She was awarded the under-30s award for her project “Not What You Saw.” Kunnath’s work highlights the stories of south Indian female bodybuilders who, through their existence, unsettle patriarchal notions about femininity and aesthetics. By owning physical power, these women challenge society’s perceptions and reclaim traditional narratives.
Ville Niiranen, a portrait and documentary photographer working between London and Zürich, contributes to the exhibition with his project “Family Portrait,” part of the series “The Admirable Fabric of Masculine Intelligence.” This work is a frank and funny exploration of Niiranen’s experiences as a stay-at-home dad. It is rich with insight into the challenges of modern masculinity and today’s family dynamics.
Murray Ballard, born 1983, lives and works in Brighton, UK, explores challenging stories from around the world with his photography. Aidan Murgatroyd’s work is inspired by memory, absence, and nostalgia, while Ana Paganini’s documentary projects explore personal and collective memory, often reflecting her native Portugal’s cultural traditions.
Scottish photographer Peter Holliday explores eco-phenomenological concepts through his camera, working closely with the northern landscape and communities of the periphery. In like manner, Mat Hay goes beyond simply celebrating rural cultures and industries by intimately documenting how humans pedantically interact with these curated landscapes.
Francisco Gonzalez Camacho, a Spanish-born visual artist now based in Finland, is the creator of The Tangential. He started this incredible series following the death of a best friend. Exhibiting themes of memory and loss, this project carefully weaves personal narratives in tandem to larger discussions around ownership.