18.09 — 13.11
2024 Community Exhibition
About the exhibition
In a world characterized by rapid digital consumption, the concept of "slow looking" emerges not as an abstract idea but as a deliberate strategy for intentional observation. Akin to the meticulous process of analog photography, which demands patience, this exhibition becomes a means to honor a medium that once served as a vital archive of community and cultural heritage. "Chemistry of Feeling II" is a community exhibition that emerges as a second iteration of its original conception in 2021, focusing on analog photography from the SWANA region as a contemporary mode of remembering and archiving. The first edition emerged as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, uncovering the silver lining of enforced slowness. Embracing the inherent unpredictability of the mediums, the exhibition features a diverse array of analog photography styles, spanning from traditional film, instant to experimental analog photography. Each medium carries its unique responsibilities and necessitates a negotiation with its materiality, historical context, and cultural significance over time.
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The exhibition showcases 28 artists who engage in slow looking, exploring their environments through social, political, and anthropological lenses. In this time of crisis, amidst destruction and disappearance, spaces grow precarious. As sites transform from the inhabited to the remembered, as images become a primary means for clinging to that which is no longer, we consider what it means to make work in a fragile world. How to materialise an ever-changing present, an unpredictable future, through mediums meant to archive stillness? Film photographers, in this moment, embrace the process and practice of slowness as a grounding force—they resist a sense of dissonance, perhaps offering an art to scaffold the fluxing heart of contemporary existence. Through this exhibition and programme, we invite viewers to engage with these varied personal stories, to slow down and look deeply, to reflect on what it means to feel, care, and see in a fragile contemporary landscape.
Events + Workshops
POST-PROCESSING: Market Day
COMMUNITY EVENT — 28.09
Whether you have some pre-loved gear to sell or are on the hunt for a bargain on second-hand equipment, you’ll have the unique opportunity to meet sellers directly, try before you buy, and negotiate prices face-to-face. It’s not just a marketplace—it’s a fantastic way to connect with new people and perhaps even find your next shooting buddy!
The Basics of Analog Photography: Develop it!
WORKSHOP — 06.10
Is having a lab develop your rolls getting too expensive? This workshop will teach you everything you need to know to get started with developing and scanning film by yourself: no darkroom required! You’ll actually shoot, develop, and scan your complimentary roll of film under the guidance of our experienced instructors, alongside other likeminded film-heads in this fun-filled course.
Creekside with Candido Collective
PHOTOWALK — 06.10
Learn how to take street photographs that work with the available light, maximize opportunities while shooting with your provided roll of Candido ISO 800 35mm film. In addition to the focus on photography, you’ll experience a route that is is laced with culture and history of this community, and learn how it has changed throughout the decades.
Qudra Lakes with Carmencita 1Hundred Film
PHOTOWALK — 20.10
Escape the city with film-photography lovers on an exploration of Qudra lakes. You'll have guided instruction on how to maximize your roll of 1Hundred film (included), and if you're looking to learn how to use your film camera to it's maximum, this photowalk is for you.
Creekside with Candido Collective
PHOTOWALK — 26.10
Learn how to take street photographs that work with the available light, maximize opportunities while shooting with your provided roll of Candido ISO 800 35mm film. In addition to the focus on photography, you’ll experience a route that is is laced with culture and history of this community, and learn how it has changed throughout the decades.
Archive, Artistic Research and Speculative Itinerancy
TALK by Behzad Khosravi Noori — 31.10
Behzad Khosravi Noori investigates the processes involved in creating archives through the lens of speculative itinerancy. In his presentation, Noori delves into the relationships between personal memory, family photo albums, and the socio-political contexts of the Global South, highlighting its micro-historical aspects of material labour and image production. His presentation addresses two specific projects and includes an overview of ongoing work at Ibrahim Hyderi, a fishing community located in Karachi.
Creekside with Candido Collective
PHOTOWALK — 07.11
Learn how to take street photographs that work with the available light, maximize opportunities while shooting with your provided roll of Candido ISO 800 35mm film. In addition to the focus on photography, you’ll experience a route that is is laced with culture and history of this community, and learn how it has changed throughout the decades.