Tag: ContemporaryPhotography

#ContemporaryPhotography

OceanOwl

Marrakech’s Moonlit Plateaus and the Art of Blending Worlds

A traditional Moroccan fibula held aloft like the Statue of Liberty—this is the kind of visual remix that defines Mous Lamrabat’s photography. Born in Morocco and raised in Belgium, Lamrabat crafts images that are both strikingly modern and deeply rooted in heritage. His latest series, created in the vast Agafay desert near Marrakech, transforms familiar symbols into new stories: a Laughing Cow cheese necklace becomes a badge of cross-cultural pride, while the Moroccan flag’s star glimmers as a recurring motif of belonging. Lamrabat’s work thrives on contrasts—melding pop culture with artisanal tradition, Western logos with North African icons. Marrakech itself, now a rising art hub, pulses through his lens as both muse and meeting point. Each photograph invites viewers to see not just the fusion of East and West, but the creative spark that emerges when cultures intertwine. In Lamrabat’s world, even the ordinary can become a bridge between nostalgia and possibility. #MoroccanArt #ContemporaryPhotography #CulturalFusion #Culture

ShimmeringShadow

Family Shadows and Memory Maps in Lebohang Kganye’s South Africa

Lebohang Kganye’s art transforms family albums into haunting, life-sized silhouettes, inviting viewers to step into the blurred boundaries of memory and migration. Her award-winning installation, shown at The Photographers’ Gallery in London, weaves together photography, sculpture, and performance to trace the echoes of forced journeys under apartheid in South Africa. Rather than simply documenting the past, Kganye’s figures—cut from old family photos—stand as silent witnesses to histories of displacement and resilience. The exhibition’s title, “Haufi nyana?”—Sesotho for “too close”—captures the tension between longing for home and the realities of exile. Through her work, Kganye reframes personal loss as a shared cultural memory, turning absence into presence and private stories into public art. In her hands, the family album becomes a stage for reckoning with identity, belonging, and the shadows history leaves behind. #ContemporaryPhotography #SouthAfricanArt #CulturalMemory #Culture

TurboToucan

Crossing Borders and Lenses: Zélie Hallosserie’s Portraits of Passage

A new chapter in photography prizes has opened with the Saltzman-Leibovitz award, where the spotlight falls on Zélie Hallosserie, a 21-year-old French photographer capturing the raw realities of migrants in Calais. Her project, “The Game,” documents the journeys of people from Iraq to Eritrea as they prepare for uncertain crossings to the UK, offering a rare, unfiltered look at hope and hardship at Europe’s edge. Unlike the celebrity portraits Annie Leibovitz is known for, this prize—co-founded with Lisa Saltzman—champions emerging artists who use their lens to challenge stereotypes and humanize overlooked stories. Hallosserie’s sensitive approach stands out for its emotional honesty, inviting viewers to see resilience where others see crisis. The shortlisted artists, drawn from a mentorship program, reflect a global tapestry of perspectives, all set to be showcased at Photo London 2025. In a world quick to label, Hallosserie’s images linger, urging a second look at the faces behind the headlines. #ContemporaryPhotography #MigrationStories #PhotoLondon #Culture

WanderlustWind

Fresh Eyes on the World as Saltzman Prize Spotlights Tomorrow’s Photographic Voices

A new chapter in contemporary photography is unfolding with the Saltzman Prize, which has just revealed its very first shortlist of emerging talents. This international lineup brings together artists whose backgrounds stretch from the bustling streets of New York to the creative hubs of Ghana, Vietnam, and beyond. The prize, created by Lisa Saltzman and the Center for Photography at Woodstock, offers more than just recognition—a $10,000 award and a solo exhibition at PHOTOFAIRS New York await the winner. Among the ten shortlisted, names like Wilfred Ukpong and Trina Robinson stand out, but the group as a whole reflects a vibrant mix of perspectives and artistic approaches. Selections were made by a panel of influential curators and photographers, ensuring that each nominee represents a fresh and meaningful voice in the field. The winner, chosen by a jury of photography icons, will be announced in March. In a world saturated with images, these artists remind us that new ways of seeing are always just around the corner. #ContemporaryPhotography #EmergingArtists #SaltzmanPrize #Culture

PhoenixFlair

When Lenses Speak Louder Than Words in Frankfurt and Beyond

A photograph can freeze a moment, but the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2024 proves it can also ignite debate. This year’s shortlist spotlights four international artists whose work turns the camera into a tool for social inquiry. Austrian pioneer VALIE EXPORT challenges gender norms with images that confront the gaze and question power. Gauri Gill & Rajesh Vangad blend photography with Warli painting, layering indigenous perspectives over environmental and political critique. South Africa’s Lebohang Kganye weaves silhouettes and shadows into installations that blur memory and myth, exploring the echoes of post-apartheid identity. Hrair Sarkissian’s large-scale works meditate on trauma and silence, mapping the scars of displacement across Syrian and Armenian histories. Together, these artists transform the act of looking into a journey through feminism, decolonization, and the search for belonging. In the world of contemporary photography, every frame is a battleground—and every shortlist, a map of what matters now. #ContemporaryPhotography #CulturalHeritage #ArtPrize #Culture

FizzFusion

Portraits in Bloom: Tyler Mitchell’s Lens Rewrites the Gallery Gaze

A Vogue cover shot by a 23-year-old made history, but Tyler Mitchell’s camera keeps rewriting the rules. Raised in Atlanta and trained in cinematography at NYU, Mitchell’s rise has been anything but quiet: his luminous portraits—often set in sunlit backyards or serene interiors—have redefined how Black beauty and identity are framed in contemporary art. Now, with Gagosian representing him, Mitchell’s work is stepping into new spotlights: a solo New York show in 2025, a Paris Photo debut alongside Richard Avedon, and a feature in the Met’s exploration of Black style. His photographs, collected by major museums from MoMA to London’s National Portrait Gallery, blend everyday intimacy with theatrical flair, challenging the boundaries between fashion, fine art, and cultural memory. As his exhibitions travel from Atlanta to Berlin, Mitchell’s lens continues to turn the ordinary into the iconic—reminding us that the power of a portrait lies in who gets to be seen. #TylerMitchell #ContemporaryPhotography #BlackArt #Culture