Pause and Participate. Play and Photograph.

5-day workshop and exhibition on the theory of photography, ethics, intention and identity with a special focus on participatory art practises and game production. After three days of theoretical input on image consumption and ethics, we will produce an interactive exhibition together.

This workshop, Pause and participate. Play and photograph., starts by questioning how photography is used and what purpose it can serve. What is this purpose - to document, to contribute to the world, to create a representation, or to inform? Photojournalism and photographs of violence could be good examples of this, as the intentions of these photographs depend on many factors. The vernacular photographs taken at Abu Gharib prison led to the elimination of crimes against humanity and torture. Still, at the very beginning, these images were taken with a bad intention - to show the "proud" U.S. soldiers in their "victories" against civilians. Or what was the intention of Annie Lebowitz when she pictured Olena Selenska in front of a destroyed airplane where presumably people died? Was it right to portray a politician as an iconic hero in Hollywood aesthetics, even if it shows the Ukrainian people's justified struggle? What about harmonising pain and aesthetics, how can we read the work of Sebastião Salgado? Is it possible to understand the pain without getting lost in the aesthetic style?

Since its invention, photography has always been used as part of colonialism and imperial power. Even today, when photography has become widely available and relatively affordable, the power relations between the people behind and in front of the camera persist. Our response to eliminating this power structure is play and participation. Together, we will pause and focus on participation. We will play with photographs and look for alternative ways to produce images. We will often take play for granted and approach it as a means to address important and serious issues; to make a breach in outdated methods. Play can support a fresh perspective, establish an alternative relationship between the producer and the audience, and encourage participation.

Schedule

First part: July 27th-30th 3 days 10:00-17:00 theorical and participatory inputs

Second part: August 12th-13th 2 days of production and exhibition preparation

This workshop will be held over 5 days, split into two parts: a 3-day theoretical workshop followed by a 2-week break and then a 2-day final product display. Attendance in person is strongly encouraged for both parts, but if the costs of travel and accommodation to Berlin is an issue for you, one part can be completed online. Please specify which part you would like to complete remotely when applying. Participation options will be confirmed upon completion of the application process.

Prior application requirements (f.e. assignments to complete)

A short description of you and your practice (max. 1 page).

If you would like to share your portfolio, website or selected work with us in advance, we would be very happy to see it.

Knowledge requirements

It is not mandatory, but visiting Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 is highly recommended. The event will take place from July 14th to July 16th, 2023 at Station Berlin. For more information, please visit: https://berlin-con.de/en/homepage_en/

Ipek Çinar and Ipek Asikoglu have been working together for more than 2 years at the intersection of law, ethics, and photography. They had a lecture performance on the intention of the artist and photography in the context of ethics and justice through various photographic works, which were published as a public lecture and an article at the invitation of Orta Format Photography Initiative. This lecture led to the duo's second collaboration, namely Good Deed Bad Deed. Good Deed Bad Deed is an interactive board game designed to encourage photographers to express their intentions and discuss their privileges in the production and presentation process. While it addresses structural discrimination (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism, classism, faith-based discrimination, and others) in the lens-based field, it serves to reflect on intentions and rethink hypocrisies in photography. This game won an award from the Asina Project, funded by the European Union. It has been printed and will be distributed as free pedagogical material to art universities, museums, and independent art associations throughout Europe.

Ipek Çinar is a photographer, researcher, and activist. She completed her undergraduate education at METU, Department of Political Science. In 2020, she started her master's education at the Art in Context Department at UdK Berlin and continues to act as the coordinator of the Diversity and Social Justice department at the AStA of the same institution. She is also working in Artist Training Berlin, which is a qualification program aimed at the qualification, consulting, and networking of artists in exile.

Çinar, who has been producing photography-based works since 2011, tells stories in which she blends writing, research, and photography. In addition to this production, she prepares texts, series of articles and exhibition catalogs for various publications; works as a content consultant especially on photography. She enjoys participatory art practices by using the elements of unexpected encounters, joy, and play. She held personal exhibitions at Poligon "The Shooting Gallery" and Ka and participated in many group exhibitions. She was invited to artist residencies, workshops and festivals in various countries and took part in exhibitions and gave speeches. Ipek Çinar, who is also a member of AICA Turkey, has been co-editor of Orta Format since 2015 and loves this publication so much.

Ipek Asikoglu studied at the Faculty of Law at Istanbul University, completed her master's degree in private law and is still pursuing her doctorate. Ipek Asiko?lu, who worked as a lawyer for a while after graduating from the University in 2014, enjoys working in areas where law and innovation meet and enjoys thinking about these areas. In 2018, the master's thesis named Kisisel Verilerin Korunmasi ve Büyük Veri (Protection of Personal Data and Big Data) was published as a book. Ipek Asikoglu , who has published various articles in the field of personal data protection, also continues her studies in the fields of commercial and intellectual property law.