As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Visions of America invites reflection on the powerful role images have played in shaping American identity. This has been a constant throughout history, from the pastoral landscapes of the Hudson River School to photographic records of westward expansion, and from the visual culture of the Civil Rights Movement to the digital spectacles of contemporary politics. In each case, imagery did more than depict reality—it actively produced and defined it. For this convening, we are honored to bring together a distinguished group of artists, poets, musicians, and theorists to interrogate and illuminate these dynamics.
We are delighted to be joined by:
Kimberly Juanita Brown, Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing and Director of the Institute for Black Intellectual and Cultural Life, Dartmouth College
Alejandro Cartagena, artist
Kay Gabriel, writer and Editorial Director, The Poetry Project
Pia-Paulina Guilmoth, artist
Terrance Hayes, poet
Dionne Lee, artist
Brandon López, musician
Sofía Gallisá Muriente, artist and filmmaker
Neferti X. M. Tadiar, Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Barnard College
This Forum on Contemporary Photography is organized by Roxana Marcoci, Acting Chief Curator and The David Dechman Senior Curator of Photography, Caitlin Ryan, Assistant Curator, and Ekalan Hou, MRC Fellow, The Robert B. Menschel Department of Photography, MoMA.
Cofounded by curators Roxana Marcoci and Eva Respini on February 16, 2010, and conceived as an experimental platform for free-form critical discussions, MoMA’s forums on contemporary photography are designed to encourage debate about the perspectives and scope of still and moving images and other forms of picture-making among leading artists, curators, and theorists in the field. The creative process of today is not solitary but dynamic, evolving from countless partnerships. These forums offer an intellectual milieu that values the scholarly reassessment of pivotal ideas in art, innovative practices, and complex and competing visions of modern and contemporary art.
Roxana Marcoci, The David Dechman Senior Curator and Acting Chief Curator of Photography, The Robert B. Menschel Department of Photography, MoMA, begins each session with an introduction to the topic, providing context for the conversation. Four to seven featured speakers then present for five to 10 minutes each. The presentations are followed by a probing, critical Q&A session and a moderated discussion with all the guests.
Read an article about the Forums from Art in America.
The Forums on Contemporary Photography are made possible through the Peter C. Bunnell Fund.