Documentary Photography and Activism

Whether discreet, individual, or—on the contrary—coordinated by more or less radical projects to transform the world, acts of resistance no longer aim for a perfect, orderly world—one conceived ex nihilo in its social and material organization—but instead implement new ways of life in the shadow of political and financial powers, developing counter-hegemonic strategies to do so. The struggles for the climate, for women’s rights, for LGBTQIA+ rights, and for communities threatened by the destruction of their living environments are organizing, taking shape, and gaining visibility through resistance against the processes that threaten them.

Consequently, the role of contemporary creation—however essential it may be—is no longer to present a utopian vision of the future, but to act in the present to transform the world through resistance, the dissemination of imaginaries, and networked action. In social struggles, images in the broadest sense—photography and the visual arts, performances, stage productions, and film—play a part in the movement.

This year's seminar will be based on the Hauts-de-France Institut pour la photographie , whose 2022–23 research and creation program focuses on the theme “Images of Resistance.” Among other guests, we will welcome several recipients of grants from this program. The aim will be to facilitate a dialogue between a researcher and an artist on themes related to the concept of resistance.

Maxime Boidy  is an associate professor of visual studies at Gustave Eiffel University and a member of LISAA (EA 4120). His research focuses primarily on the intellectual history of visual knowledge and political iconography. He is currently the recipient of a research grant from the Institut pour la photographie for a project on imagery of workers’ strikes in the Hauts-de-France region prior to 1914. His book "Society Does Not Exist": Images of the Civil War Under Margaret Thatcher is scheduled for release in November 2022 by Editions Même pas l’Hiver.

Bruno Serralongue was born in 1968 in Châtellerault. He lives in Pantin and teaches at the Haute Ecole d’Art et de Design in Geneva. Since the mid-1990s, following his studies in art history at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie in Arles and the Villa Arson in Nice, he has been developing a body of photographic work that challenges the production processes of contemporary media imagery. Since 1996, his photographs have been exhibited regularly in France and abroad. His works are included in numerous public and private collections. He is represented by the Air de Paris, Albert Baronian, and Francesca Pia galleries. His latest published book, Calais: A Firsthand Account of the “Jungle” (2006–2020) was published by Heni Publishing in 2022.