context
︎Turner Gallery
Anya Gallaccio: preserve
Melting candles, rotting trees, a huge curtain of apples and a chalk mine 3D-printed into life. These impermanent spectacles turn art into theatre, rooted in the landscape of Kent.
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I went to see Anya Gallaccio’s exhibiton preserve at the turner gallery in Margate. She uses a variety of media to explore themes of impermanence and decay. The use of organic materials like rotting apples, melting candles, and mussel shells created a visceral, multisensory experience. The room with the rotting apples was particularly pungent, it engaged other senses that went beyond the visual created a physical reaction in my body.
Turner Contemporary’s bright, minimalist gallery created a striking backdrop for Gallaccio’s organic and ephemeral works. The clean, modern architecture made the rawness of her materials stand out even more, making the natural processes of decay feel immediate and unavoidable.
The way materials visibly changed over time, such as the apples falling off the rope and decaying on the floor, emphasised the fleeting nature of life and our interaction with the environment and nature. This evolving quality made the artwork feel alive and participatory. Overall, a thought provoking installation that challenges traditional perceptions of sculpture and art.
The exhibition connects to my work through its use of natural elements to explore transformation and human experience. In my project Rooted, I use the beach setting to frame the postpartum body, drawing parallels between the evolving landscape and the transformation of motherhood. Both practices highlight nature’s role in shaping identity and narrative.
iveot to prere
Turner Contemporary’s bright, minimalist gallery created a striking backdrop for Gallaccio’s organic and ephemeral works. The clean, modern architecture made the rawness of her materials stand out even more, making the natural processes of decay feel immediate and unavoidable.
The way materials visibly changed over time, such as the apples falling off the rope and decaying on the floor, emphasised the fleeting nature of life and our interaction with the environment and nature. This evolving quality made the artwork feel alive and participatory. Overall, a thought provoking installation that challenges traditional perceptions of sculpture and art.
The exhibition connects to my work through its use of natural elements to explore transformation and human experience. In my project Rooted, I use the beach setting to frame the postpartum body, drawing parallels between the evolving landscape and the transformation of motherhood. Both practices highlight nature’s role in shaping identity and narrative.
iveot to prere
Fragile beauty : photographic collection by Elton John
︎ V & A Museum
The Fragile Beauty exhibition at the V&A brought together an incredible range of photographs from the collection of Elton John and David Furnish. The collection felt like a celebration of the emotional and physical fragility of human life, which came through in the diverse imagery of works. Photographers such as Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe and Cindy Sherman displaying what ranged from intimate portraits to larger cultural and social themes, all tied together by this sense of vulnerability and strength. Each of the photos made you feel something, stop and consider the story.
What stood out to me was how the exhibition was organised, it wasn’t overwhelming despite the scale. The layout made it easy to move between different sections, and the flow felt natural, with themes like identity and transformation running through the whole show. It had a nice balance of familiarity and discovery.
One of the highlights for me was seeing so much of Nan Goldin’s work on display, particularly her Thanksgiving series. Her photographs have this raw, honest quality that captures intimacy so meaningfully.
The exhibiton felt like an exploration of human connection, beauty, and fragility in all its forms. It celebrates the charm in the moments that otherwise go amiss through a permanent snapshot. The personal and emotional depth of the works really stuck with me, and it’s definitely influenced how I think about my own practice.
The exhibition Fragile Beauty relates closely to my photographic series After Hours in its focus on intimacy, vulnerability, and small, tender moments. My triptych, like Nan Goldin's work featured in the exhibition, captures raw, everyday experiences—here, the private rituals of women in bathroom spaces. Both bodies of work highlight a deeply personal and unfiltered gaze, exploring themes of identity and the beauty found in seemingly mundane acts. After Hours mirrors the emotional resonance of Goldin's photography, using rich colors and intimate compositions to elevate the ordinary into something profoundly human and relatable.
Rakesh Mohindra Seminar
The Gesture of Photography by Villem Flusser
Se![]()
In The Gesture of Photographing, Vilém Flusser examines the act of photography in multiple ways, arguing that taking a photograph is not merely pressing a button but a negotiation between the photographer, the camera, and the world.
The Gesture of Photography by Villem Flusser
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In The Gesture of Photographing, Vilém Flusser examines the act of photography in multiple ways, arguing that taking a photograph is not merely pressing a button but a negotiation between the photographer, the camera, and the world.
There were multiple texts within this seminar but I was particularly
drawn to The Gesture of Photographing because it explores photography not just as an act of image making, but as a gesture, a deliberate, interpretative process that alters the subject being observed. Flusser’s emphasis on the photographer’s role as an active participant in creating meaning resonated with my own practice. I was particularly interested in his exploration of how the presence of a photographer or observer creates a kind of barrier or distance between the subject and its ‘natural’ state. This idea closely relates to some of the challenges I encounter in capturing intimate, authentic moments
The text challenged my understanding of photography as a medium of truth. Flusser’s argument that the act of observing or photographing inherently transforms the subject made me reconsider how much of what I capture is influenced by my own presence or choices, and how my use of the camera as a tool contributes to this transformation. It reframed my process as something performative, rather than purely documentary and made me consider how other mediums could also portray my ideas.The text has prompted me to think about how I can navigate or even embrace this barrier, perhaps by incorporating it into the narrative of my work.
From this text, I’ve taken away the idea that the act of observing and photographing is not just a disruption but also an opportunity to tell a layered story. I am considering how I can use the presence of the observer—or even the camera itself—as a visible element in my work, playing with its performative nature rather than hiding it. This could involve exploring staged scenes where the observer’s influence is deliberately apparent or experimenting with how the ‘barrier’ between subject and photographer can be visually represented. It has also reminded me how these dynamics might shape the narratives within my work.
KEY
The text challenged my understanding of photography as a medium of truth. Flusser’s argument that the act of observing or photographing inherently transforms the subject made me reconsider how much of what I capture is influenced by my own presence or choices, and how my use of the camera as a tool contributes to this transformation. It reframed my process as something performative, rather than purely documentary and made me consider how other mediums could also portray my ideas.The text has prompted me to think about how I can navigate or even embrace this barrier, perhaps by incorporating it into the narrative of my work.
From this text, I’ve taken away the idea that the act of observing and photographing is not just a disruption but also an opportunity to tell a layered story. I am considering how I can use the presence of the observer—or even the camera itself—as a visible element in my work, playing with its performative nature rather than hiding it. This could involve exploring staged scenes where the observer’s influence is deliberately apparent or experimenting with how the ‘barrier’ between subject and photographer can be visually represented. It has also reminded me how these dynamics might shape the narratives within my work.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SEMINAR / TEXT
Subjectivity and Interpretation The photographer’s decisions—what to include in the frame, what to exclude, the angle, lighting, and timing—are not neutral. These choices impose the photographer’s perspective onto the subject, altering how it is perceived by viewers. The photograph becomes a representation, not the reality itself.
The Observer Effect Drawing parallels with quantum theory, Flusser implies that the presence of the observer changes the behavior of the observed. When something is photographed, it is taken out of its original context and recontextualized within the photograph, transforming its meaning. For instance, a mundane object, when photographed artistically, may take on symbolic or aesthetic significance.
The Apparatus’ Role The camera itself mediates this alteration. Flusser suggests that the camera's design and programming influence the resulting image, limiting or shaping what the photographer can capture. Thus, the subject is not only altered by the human observer but also by the technological apparatus used to observe it.
Performance of Observing The act of photographing can also alter the subject’s behavior, especially when photographing people. Being aware of the camera, subjects may perform or change their natural behavior, creating an image that reflects the interaction between photographer and subject rather than an untouched reality.
Subjectivity and Interpretation The photographer’s decisions—what to include in the frame, what to exclude, the angle, lighting, and timing—are not neutral. These choices impose the photographer’s perspective onto the subject, altering how it is perceived by viewers. The photograph becomes a representation, not the reality itself.
The Observer Effect Drawing parallels with quantum theory, Flusser implies that the presence of the observer changes the behavior of the observed. When something is photographed, it is taken out of its original context and recontextualized within the photograph, transforming its meaning. For instance, a mundane object, when photographed artistically, may take on symbolic or aesthetic significance.
The Apparatus’ Role The camera itself mediates this alteration. Flusser suggests that the camera's design and programming influence the resulting image, limiting or shaping what the photographer can capture. Thus, the subject is not only altered by the human observer but also by the technological apparatus used to observe it.
Performance of Observing The act of photographing can also alter the subject’s behavior, especially when photographing people. Being aware of the camera, subjects may perform or change their natural behavior, creating an image that reflects the interaction between photographer and subject rather than an untouched reality.