4th International Conference of Photography & Theory (ICPT2016)

PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE EVERYDAY December 2-4, 2016

at the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre, Associated with the Pierides Foundation [NiMAC] Nicosia, Cyprus International Association of Photography & Theory (IAPT) www.photographyandtheory.com

Keynote Speakers: Martha Langford John Stezaker

Research in historical, artistic and vernacular photography has been rapidly expanding in the past few years. Responding to this trend, the International Conference of Photography and Theory (ICPT) was created with the aim to provide an outlet for an interdisciplinary and critical theoretical exploration of photography and photographic practices. The 4th International Conference of Photography and Theory (ICPT2016) aims once again at bringing together researchers and practitioners from diverse fields of study, who share a common interest in photography. This year’s topic, ‘Photography and the Everyday’ investigates the current meanings, distribution, materiality, impact, and affect of vernacular photography (or else everyday photography) in relation to our economy of images. Furthermore, it aims to examine the ways vernacular photography influences, shapes and challenges memory, individual and collective identities, historical and other narratives, the social fabric, issues of authorship and authenticity, privacy and public life. With the advent of the digital era, an unprecedented volume of photographs are being produced, shared and distributed, perhaps signalling a shift in our engagement with vernacular photography. Smartphones, tablets, social media and photo-sharing applications seem to have altered our economy of images, making everyday photography more immediate, accessible, shareable and visible than ever. The ease of taking vernacular photographs has resulted in fleeting, temporal, and what they are often described as ‘superficial’ images. However, the growing and overpowering number, the viral nature, and often personal – yet universally – understood content of such images cannot be easily dismissed. More so, online photographic collections have established a diverse and flexible channel for exchange of both images and discourse around everyday photography, whilst INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND THEORY producers and consumers of photographic images have assumed curatorial roles over these collections.

We invite proposals for 30-minute presentations (20 minutes presentation and 10 minutes for discussion) from various disciplines, such as: photography, art history and theory, visual sociology, anthropology, museology, philosophy, ethnography, cultural studies, visual and media studies, communications, and fine and graphic arts.

Submitted proposals for presentations should address, but are not limited to one or more of the following:

Vernacular, Snapshot and Everyday Photography

The nature of everyday photography: producing, collecting, displaying, categorizing and distributing the everyday image

The ephemeral nature of everyday photography

Found vernacular photography: issues of privacy and ownership

The Digital Archive: a new materiality § Personal photo album vs a shared public database

Redefining the family album

The digital rebirth of the surveillance society Traces of Memory & Identity

Everyday image: memory, place and everyday life

The indexical nature of everyday digital photography

Digital memory: a fluid strand of memory

Sharing photographs online: constructing family and private life

Empowering through vernacular photography

Producing and consuming photographic images The Effect of Photo-Sharing Applications & Social Networks

From Polaroid to Instagram The Selfie phenomenon

Digital Photographic collections and communities: formulating, participating and social tagging

Collaborative photographic practices and experiences

Everyday photographic production and photo-sharing as a social process

Photo Diary/Weblog/Photostreams as narratives

Politics, revolutions and propaganda of photo-sharing Art and Everyday Photography

The everyday/snapshot aesthetic in art photography

Artists’ use of everyday photography – found or (re)created

Issues of appropriation and assimilation § The personal and collective in everyday photography

Curating the vernacular

Simulating and performing the vernacular

To propose a paper, please submit a 400-word (excluding references) abstract no later than June 1, 2016 by filling in the Submission Form (http://photographyandtheory.com/wp/?page_id=957). For the purposes of blind refereeing, full name of each author with current affiliation and full contact details (address, email, phone number), title of presentation will be submitted separately, while a short biographical note (200 words) should be uploaded as a separate document in ICPT2016 Submission Form. Both documents (abstract and contact details) should be in English. Important Dates: – Deadline for submission: June 1, 2016 – Notification of authors: July 15, 2016 – Deadline for early registration: September 15, 2016 – Deadline for late registration: October 15 2016 – Conference: December 2-4, 2016 Submitted proposals will go through a blind peer-reviewing and authors will be notified of the acceptance of their proposals by July 15, 2016 For more information and conference updates, please visit the website of the International Association of Photography and Theory: www.photographyandtheory.com Questions may be send to: icpt@photographyandtheory.com