We are very pleased to share the Collective Space with Sputnik Photos , TerraProject, NOOR  and  Verso. The Collective space is dedicated to photographer’s groups and initiatives based on cooperation and networking.

Sketch by Richard Glynn / Wideyed, 2011

We decided that the most relevant project to represent the two editions of the Collectives Encounter at Format Festival was ‘Mapping the Flâneur‘, the fantastic and challenging art work ASA and Wideyed created for the ‘The Flâneur. The Dwelling Place of the Collective‘ in 2011. This project is a the perfect metaphor of the Collectives Encounter: a collective of collectives. 20 collectives throughout the world developed a constantly evolving exhibition of crowd-sourced new work over a month.

In Lodz, we will present a multimedia piece which compiles the three flâneries collectives have followed through March 2011 to get to Derby: Consuming, Urbanising and Transporting. Inspired by the development of cloud printing, the installation ‘Mapping the Flâneur’ remotely produced daily prints for the exhibition, and the images were also tracked online on the project’s website mapping-flaneur.tumblr.com.

where and when to find us in Lodz:

GROHMAN’S VILLA
Tylna 9/11
opening hours
10.05 (Thu): 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
11.05–20.05 (Mon-Sun): 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
latest entrance: 7.00 p.m.

opening: 10.05, 6 p.m.
exhibition will be held: 10–20.05

Sketch by Richard Glynn / Wideyed, 2011

Wideyed and ASA Re-Mapped the Flâneur last year at Newcastle Arts Centre  (UK) to coincide with Sunderland University’s ‘The Versatile Image: Photography in the Era of Web 2.0‘ Symposium.

‘Mapping the Flâneur’ was produced with the support of Arts Council England, Photo-Festivals and Format Festival, and made possible by the generous contributions of collectives throughout the world.

The Newcastle Arts Centre exhibition ended on Saturday, and Wideyed took it down on Monday. Some lovely comments had been left on the blank index cards in the filing cabinet, for example:

A most delightful journey!

Great, but it feels like it needs to ‘grow’… The rolls need to keep unfurling.

The Flâneur, today this is me. Interesting to see what the rest of the world is up to, much sadness but some bright spots.

Inspiring use of technology, brilliant photography, very brave approach!

A fantastic concept concisely and attractively articulated through exhibition. Brings fantastic images from many countries into a cohesive, imaginative and thought provoking whole. Nice!

Someone even did a little drawing for us! But my personal favourite is “It’s awe-inspipiring – Oliver, age 10“

Anyway, while the exhibition was up we filmed as well as photographed it, and we also shot some footage of the private view on 24th July, which we’ve finally got round to editing and posting here.

It really has been an adventure. Many thanks again to everyone who shared it with us.

ASA Collective joined us in Newcastle on Monday so we could all hang our collaborative exhibition, ‘Re:Mapping the Flâneur’, ready for it to open yesterday.

The show comprises three of the 40m long prints made during ‘Mapping the Flâneur’ at Derby in March 2011: in the installation shot below, you can see one of these running around the wall on the left, with the other two hanging along the centre. On the remaining wall (below right and above) is a 13m long print we made especially for the exhibition: this has a reprint of the last 40 images sent to us for the Derby installation, followed by 20 mock index cards, one for each participating collective, that include the names and logos of each collective and their photographers, websites and other useful information. These ‘cards’ (see above top right) also show the location of each collective, and they’re all arranged for the print in the order of timezones (i.e. GMT in the centre, the Americas on the far left through western Europe and Africa to eastern Europe on the far right).

More installation shots can be found here, and practical information, including the invitation to the private view (6pm on 24th June 2011) can be found here.

The exhibition closes 5pm on Saturday 25th June. Come and see it!

It’s now 6 weeks since FORMAT11 ended. It took a while for everyone at ASA Collective and Wideyed to get over Mapping the Flâneur (it was a lot of hard work!), and then start digesting the experience…

Over the month that Mapping the Flâneur took place, 97 photographers from 20 collectives around the world contributed just over 700 of their images to the installation project. 700 images in a month might not seem like a lot in a world where thousands of pictures are uploaded to online image sharing sites every minute. But when you’re processing 700 images, publishing them with credits and captions to a tumblr site and sending them to print in a gallery, all one by one, believe us, it’s a lot. And at the end of the exhibition, we discovered we’d used 5 rolls of 40m long paper, totalling 200m, for the installation. Those are big prints.

As part of the application process for ACE G4TA grants, there’s a section dedicated to evaluation – ACE ask how you plan to monitor the progress of your work from start to finish, and consider its potential impact beyond. When you first start considering this, the most obvious measurements of achievement are quantifiable things like the numbers of visitors to the exhibition, press clippings and web hits; for example, based on the figures supplied to us by FORMAT, we estimate that 2,500-2,700 people saw Mapping the Flâneur in Derby. After that, there are things like written comments and word-of-mouth feedback, evaluation forms and SWOT analyses…

But it also occurred to us that, at the close of the exhibition, a large number and variety of images would have been received, and the potential to successfully re-curate these into another object – another exhibition, say – would be the most interesting measure of the quality of the project.

And that’s exactly what we’re about to attempt.

This is the gallery in Newcastle where we’ll be re-exhibiting Mapping the Flâneur – or Re:Mapping the Flâneur. The gallery is part of Newcastle Arts Centre, which 100 years ago was a department store, and the arched ceiling is a restored original feature. Given that the piece of work we’ll be exhibiting there was directly inspired by Walter Benjamin’s ‘The Arcades Project’, the fact that we’ll be using a space that not only looks like an arcade but was also used as a commercial space like one, is fantastic.

And this is roughly how we plan to use that space. Although the gallery is large, it’s nowhere near big enough to display five 40m long prints, so we’ll exhibit the best parts of three, and with these try to give an impression of the lengths of the prints and the scale of the original project they were produced in. The index card filing cabinet we used in the Collectives Encounter exhibition will make a reappearance, and we’ll also produce a 13m long print, especially for this show, as a means of introducing some context (information about the Derby installation, the photographers that took part and their collectives, and so on).

In addition, our collaboration with ASA Collective continues, as we’re working to transform all the images we received into something that can be screened or projected. Our hope is that any of the other collectives involved in this project can then take ownership of this piece, by showing it themselves if they wish. That they might take it for a walk…

The exhibition will run from 14th – 26th June 2011 at Newcastle Arts Centre, 67 Westgate Road, NE1 1SG

6pm onwards on Friday 24th June, the projection piece being created for this exhibition will be screened at a special event, timed to coincide with Sunderland University’s ‘The Versatile Image: Photography in the Era of Web 2.0‘.

We hope to see you there!

Made up initially of 13 photographers of varied age and education, Black Box is a melting pot of temperaments and energy. Over the five years since the group was created, members have engaged in many artistic activities, either individually or in collaboration with groups. The diversity of perceptions and interpretations, and the understanding artistic experiences provide, has been the bedrock for the emerging consciousness of photography in Africa.

Members’ approach to work is flexible, as the collective’s principles afford each the freedom to create, individually and collectively. Photographers active within the group are: Uche Okpa-Iroha, Andrew Esiebo, Charles Ologeh, Adeniyi Odeleye, Abraham Oghobase, Mary Kassim, Chiemela Azurunwa, Charles Okereke, and new member Chidinma Nnorom.

UCHE OKPA-IROHA was a founding member of the Trans-African photography project, INVISIBLE BORDERS, a road trip platform telling African stories the African way. His work has been shown at the PHOTO BIENNALE “Recontres De Bamako 2009″, and he won the SEYDOU KEITA AWARD in Mali. Uche is currently a scholar at Rijksakedemie, in the Netherlands.

ANDREW ESIEBO is internationally known with his essayist style of reportage which questions issues that seemingly could be seen contrary to society and abhorred, but which form an intrinsic part of society, and cannot be denied nor ignored. Andrew’s work has been included in the 2009 BAMAKO PHOTO BIENNALE, and exhibited nationally and internationally.

CHARLES OLOGEH‘s work has a certain ethereal quality. This sense of timelessness is his favoured mode of expression, with a dose  of theatrics added that give his works a compelling appeal. Ologeh runs a studio in the mainland of Lagos.

CHARLES OKEREKE’s eclectic approach creates a vibrancy and variety of concepts which constantly blur but persist, most times dictated by the images themselves as he seeks to interpret these vibrations and simultaneously bring clarity to the perceptions. He is also a founding member of the Trans-African photographic platform INVISIBLE BORDERS, and his work has appeared nationally and internationally.

As a collective, BLACK BOX extends her hand to other collectives on a mutual exchange and working capacity, in every available approach or genre of photography, which could be mutually beneficial. This synergy, in truth, is what collectives represent and should be fostered: only on such basis do we thrive, and are thus sustained.

The agency and photographers are based in Warsaw, Poland. Having this Central Eastern European location permits fast and easy access on assignments in ex-USSR republics, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, the Balkan republics, Romania, Hungary, Germany. We work on worldwide assignments such as covering war in Afghanistan, documenting leprosy in India or the economic crisis in the USA. Filip Cwik, Adam Lach, Maciek Jeziorek, Piotr Malecki and Ewa Meissner concentrate their attention on creating long-term projects, reaching out for stories of  political and cultural importance with special focus on social reportage, relating to their subjects with maximum respect they deserve. We aim for the best in the form and means of communicating with our recipients, at the same time searching for new ways for documentary photography to reach broader audience by working with galleries, publishing photography albums or participating in international photography contests and festivals. Sharing inspiration and seeking new forms of analyzing visually the  world we live in, results in Napo Images’  efforts being published by leading Polish and international press.

* Napo Images is taking part in ’Mapping the Flâneur’ by ASA Collective and Wideyed at FORMAT11

Image © Filip Cwik

Image ©Adam Lach

Image ©Maciek Jeziorek

Image ©Piotr Malecki

Image ©Ewa Meissner

*item [ITEM] n.m. :

1. élément minimal (dans un ensemble organisé); corps que l’ont peut considérer singulièrement (dans un ensemble)

2. réponse spécifique à une question donnée; élément de sens sur une problématique donnée

Né en septembre 2001 le collectif item se compose aujourd’hui de 5 photographes - Franck Boutonnet, Marc Bonneville, Romain Etienne, Julien Brygo et Bertrand Gaudillère – avec graphiste Yannick Bailly, et vidéaste/monteuse/preneuse de son Christina Firmino.

Le collectif item est une structure de production indépendante qui développe des compétences en matière d’écriture photo-journalistique. Un savoir faire qu’ils déclinent dans le domaine de la presse, de l’entreprise et des institutions.

Le collectif item est un espace de travail qui se donne le temps et les moyens nécessaires pour construire de véritables sujets pensés comme des récits photographiques à part entière. Sa production photographique fonctionne dans un dialogue permanent entre travaux individuels et projets collectifs, travaux personnels et travaux de commandes.

Le collectif item est un espace de diffusion qui s’ouvre au public en organisant des expositions individuelles ou collectives dans le cadre de son atelier pour donner à voir la diversité des écritures qui composent le champ du photojournalisme.

* Collectif Item is taking part in ’Mapping the Flâneur’ by ASA Collective and Wideyed at FORMAT11

Image © Bertrand Gaudillère

Image © Franck Boutonnet

Image © Marc Bonneville

Image © Romain Etienne

Zorye Kolektiv is the first photo collective in Slovenia, and joining together has enabled the photographers to have a platform for expressing their views of the world from their specific perspectives, in addition to their everyday assignments. It has also offered them a better way to promote documentary photography and increase its visibility. For the most part, the members of the Zorye Kolektiv cover domestic issues. At first sight, Slovenia might seem a slightly dull country, yet it reveals under its thin surface many very interesting and unique stories. The four photographers also document social issues, amongst them those relating to marginal social groups. When humanitarian projects are raised they support them by participating in charity exhibitions. Although they watch sad stories through their camera and through media reports all over the world, their wish is also to reflect other, brighter sides of life.

Currently, the members of Zorye Kolektiv are working on various projects. Jaka Gasar has been documenting: the life of Roma communities on their way to inclusion in society; the life of the iron industry town of Jesenice, which is also known for its immigrant workers from ex-Yugoslavia; and also the Slovenian Navy, which is likely to be the smallest navy in the world. Matjaz Rust has been documenting the story of a drug addict girl who strives to withdraw from drugs and recapture normal life. Members of Zorye Kolektiv make interviews with renowned local and world famous photographers, which they post on their website. Agencies such as Reuters, AP, AFP and EPA have bought their photos. Zorye Kolektiv has also founded a cultural and arts society in order to share their knowledge and experience with enthusiastic photographers, especially those of a younger generation. Members of Zorye Kolektiv have received multiple awards at the Slovenia Press Photo and the Slovene Association of Journalists contests. They have been preparing a summary exhibition of their work since they are celebrating the first anniversary of their collective activities.

Brnik, 2009 © Jaka Adamic

Helsinki, 2007 © Luka Cjuha

Wall Street 2008 © Jaka Gasar

Kuta Beach, 2009 © Matjaz Rust

www.zorye.si
www.facebook.com/zoryekolektiv

En febrero de 2011 el proyecto se amplía, creando una pequeña revista: Depiefoto Fanzine. Es un fanzine en el que imágenes y texto conviven para dar lugar a breves historias ilustradas. Cada número está basado en un tema distinto y los colaboradores, escritores y fotógrafos, elaboran sus creaciones en torno a él.

El primer número del fanzine bajo el tema: “Pasados imperfectos” se puede hojear online.

El segundo número estará disponible en la misma web a partir del mes de abril.

El fanzine es en castellano, pero incluye siempre una colaboración en una lengua extranjera y sin traducir. Los interesados en colaborar pueden encontrar las bases en el siguiente link.

Depiefoto está participando en Mapping the Flâneur con las fotografías que Ana Zaragoza está realizando expresamente para la instalación. El material producido servirá para crear, en un futuro, un producto para Depiefoto blog al que Elena Sarmiento dará voz.

http://www.depiefoto.com/Inicio.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Depiefoto/319152390634
http://twitter.com/depiefoto