Last week, the folks at Blindboys hosted a photography exhibition in the streets of Bangalore. Prints mounted on the sidewalks of an Indian city? Wonderful! Read more on the event here.
I thought that this approach was very innovative and exposes different segments of the society to photography. It is a warm step away from the cold gallery walls, where the common folk is given a chance to appreciate photography. It’s also a way that photographers can bring more attention to their works. However, I’m not sure if there were any legal roadblocks in setting up an exhibition like this. Then again, it’s India where everything is possible, e.g. my driver drove against the flow of traffic for a good 5 minutes.
Congrats to the team for its success! Hope to see more of these guerilla exhibitions popping up around the region. Having a solo/group exhibition in a gallery may be good for the CV or ego but having something that reaches across social divides is more fulfilling for the soul (and definitely cheaper to produce).
Perhaps I will try to get a little conversation going on here. Would you consider doing this in your own country? What kind of obstacles do you think you would encounter? What kind of works do you think would be well-received?
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The event was a success however, it rained and mane of the prints disintegrated. But then, the response from the people on the street was very encouraging. There were questions ranging from Why and what? to cost of prints and camera. I think, this was just a run up to something big Blindboys are up to:
Here are some more pictures of the event: http://mainsandcrosses.blogspot.com/2009/08/church-street.html
Good to know that the folks were really engaged in it! Are we all going to see more of such events in the future by Blindboys? I guess that with capricious weather elements, it would be best to spend less on prints next time!
I would do that! But with something covered and not easy to release it. Cos my hometown, the ppl have this habit touching or sometimes ‘steal’ it. >_<
Brilliant !!
I was once a participant-photographer in http://projektdesap.org/index.html, a photographers’ initiative (done in cooperation with the Free Jonas Burgos Movement and Desaparecidos), with an effort to create public awareness on the issue of enforced disappearances in the Philippines.
We have done similar exhibits in various areas here in Manila. But since the objective is to raise awareness (and not to sell prints), the group decided to have the photographs printed on a tarpaulin (like the material used in billboards) measuring 2ft x 2ft. Each photograph is either held by clips and were hanged in wires or tied with rope and suspended in bamboo framing.
One of the advantages of using tarpaulin is that it’s cheap to produce, waterproof and can be hanged without the need for framing. So its very much applicable on outdoor exhibits. There were least problems/ obstacles aside from the usual permits that needs to be secured from the venue and a pool of volunteers needed to set-up the exhibit. I also think works on documentary concerning social issues will be well-received using the above-mentioned methods.
I believe this is not original idea, though it is brilliant in any way.
Nobuyoshi Araki realized this idea in 99 in Taipei, Hong-Kong and Shanghai. I own a photobook that covers this event.
would you consider doing this in your own country? What kind of obstacles do you think you would encounter?
i would be glad to do it in Tokyo, but there is a strict rules toward things that are posted on the walls. i believe nobody ever did that here yet.
anyway, i still believe that it all depends of what exactly will be exhibited in such way. i think there is not much sense in showing dramatic documentary photography in a places where people`s life already are full of drama (maybe that one of the reasons why Araki showed only flowers in such way). but if such way of exhibitioning have some social or highly morale goals – then it is great.
@dennis that’s a pretty good idea, to print it on tarpaulin. and it can be easily dismantled and be used to fool the cops into believing that it’s for a roadside stall. :p
@tim i agree. firstly, i think that showing “dramatic documentary” images do help to bring certain issues to light and put out a message to those people that, “Yes, we know you’re suffering. We hope we can help to bring about change.” It’s also something that the folks can understand and relate to. Showing pretty images can have the effect of bringing some joy. However, I’m being very idealistic here.
This is a very good idea. Thanks a lot, I’ll be sharing this with my group we might as well copy this brilliant idea.
photographs have one purpose- to been seen.
Hello, I just wanted to tell you that it’s pretty much thanks to this post that we discovered Blindboys. And I can’t be sure… but the questions you ask at the end might also have had an influence, because we seem to have pretty much decided to look for answers – we’re currently exhibiting Blindboys work in the UK, in our own way.
So, I thought a little thanks might be in order!
cheers, Lucy @ Wideyed
Hi there, thanks for the information. Good to know that I’m bringing some good to the world. Haha.