Special Issue
Forms of presentation
in contemporary photography
Tatyana FEDOROVA
When implementing a project any photographer or
artist will eventually have to decide on its presentation
form. The concept of the “project” appeared in
contemporary art and photography in the former Soviet
Union relatively recently – just about 15 years ago –
and stands for the incorporation of a certain idea into
a carefully preselected artistic form that is capable of
presenting this idea in the most effective, suitable and
relevant way.
When it comes to the forms of
presentation in contemporary photography, there are three basic ones:
the exhibition, book, and multimedia.
These three forms differ by the degree
of control of the recipient. Prior to implementing a project, its author should
identify the general track for the development of the artistic idea, because
it is on this framework that the success
and result of the project depend. It is
important to decide well in advance
who the intended core audience of
the project is and what will happen to
the photographs after the project concludes, determine the order of display
and need for audio or video support for
the declaration of your artistic idea. It
is necessary that the author make up
his or her mind whether photographs
will be printed and, if yes, identify the
best dimensions for the most effective
presentation, or whether it remains in
its digital form as part of a multimedia
online project, or remains as a contribution to a social network as a communicator, a nonverbal information
medium.
Tatyana Fedorova is a media artist,
curator, director of the Art Platforma NGO.
One of the objectives of her organization
is to promote and develop photography
in Moldova. She was born and works in
Chisinau. Her works include performances,
photo and video installations, and
documentary projects addressing social,
political, esthetic issues, as well as
present-day world problems.
The exhibition format offers the
most freedom in the relationship between the author and his or her audience. The author elaborates a plan
for the story that he or she wishes to
tell to unfold successively within the
exposition area and marks spots to
highlight key points and thus guide
the audience. However, regardless
of the author’s plan, viewers might
walk around the exposition area in a
chaotic manner while independently
choosing the trajectory for viewing
the works.
Unlike the exhibition format, the
book enables the author to introduce
a more rigid framework and give the
viewer clear markers to walk the path
from beginning to end. However, even
here viewers may fail to follow the
guidelines and keep to the set rhythm
by browsing the works from the end
of the book or opening it on a random
page.
A multimedia project further enhances the author’s control of the
audience. This form enables him or
her to set the speed and succession
of works for the audience to view by
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