OPEN CALL!
For photographers residing in India
Image Assembly: Towards a Practice of Publishing
Workshop led by: Cécile Poimboeuf-Koizumi and Tanvi Mishra
This workshop is intended for individuals who have been working on a substantial image-based project and have ample material to build a publication. Participants should have extra images to consider during the workshop, in addition to those submitted in the proposal. They are also encouraged to bring accompanying materials ranging from texts, archival material, illustrations, and other ephemera.
The workshop will culminate with a printed outcome, the form of which will be devised over the course of the engagement.
Early May (in person – Delhi): On Editing
Mid-May, June, July (online): Fieldwork / Collations
August (in person – Delhi): On Editing and Sequencing, Designing (with support from Sukanya Baskar) and Printing
About the Workshop
The assemblage of images at times has been referred to as narrative, and others as mosaic. This synthesis of images towards a structure of meaning-making is often the result of a process of editing. Through this four-month engagement, participants will learn to observe movements from one image to next, building an understanding of the connections which lie in the interstices between pictures.
Through in-person and online sessions with Cecile Poimboeuf-Koizumi and Tanvi Mishra, both working with images as photo-editors or curators, participants will develop an understanding of editing images for the printed page. Whether towards a photobook, a zine or another publication form, the workshop will help them devise a concept, edit and sequence for their image-based works. Whether on a spread, or in the turn of a page, these sessions will explore the rhythms and movements that connect images in the process of visual storytelling.
The workshop will feature lectures and discussions on image editing, book design, art direction, and printing processes. Through a combination of individual as well as group exercises, photographers will be encouraged to ideate on their own and their peers’ bodies of work. The aim is to equip those attending with the tools to make a printed outcome of their work in the future.
NOTE: The workshop is tuition free. PhotoSouthAsia will also provide each participant accommodation, per diem and travel expenses (train 3 AC) to and from Delhi for both in-person sessions in April and August.
Please NOTE: A Google Account is needed to complete the submission.
Questions/Clarifications: eMail us at photosouthasia.workshop@gmail.com
1. Do we need to submit works in progress or completed works?
It is preferred to apply with works that are in progress, that have the capacity to be edited and also added on to, during the course of the workshop. It is preferred that participants apply with bodies of work that they have been working on for a while, so they have ample material available for editing.
2. If I have a full-time job, can I still apply?
This course requires 2 weeks (one in May and one in August) of full day commitment. Apart from this, in the months of May-August participants will be required to further develop their works, either by producing more images, collecting more ephemera or archival research. We are looking for committed candidates that are willing to devote this time, to focus on developing the narratives in their ongoing bodies of work.
3. I live in Europe but I visit India often, can I apply?
This course is meant for residents of India. This can be those who hold Indian citizenship or others who live and work in India. Travel costs are reimbursed from their respective Indian cities to New Delhi and back (train 3 AC).
4. Do we need to have produced a dummy book before or do we need a dummy to submit?
No, we need candidates to submit 15-20 images from a body of work that they are looking to work on during the course. Participants need not have produced book dummies before.
5. I have been working on a long-term project, but I still have some elements remaining that I need to cover. Can I still apply?
Yes! Participants are encouraged to apply with works that are ongoing. Participants will have 4 months between the two in-person sessions to expand upon their work, and bring it to the second tranche of the workshop. Works need not be ‘complete’ in either of these stages, but there should be substantial material available for editing the images.
The result of this workshop will NOT be individual book dummies for each participant. The workshop aims to discuss techniques of editing, sequencing and book designing which should help participants towards making their dummy and final photobooks in the future. The focus of the workshop is largely focused on method and technique, and less on the final product.
6. I am unable to write the project statement and statement of motivation in the stipulated words. Will it still be reviewed?
The course leaders will be reviewing each application, and given the large numbers, they are unable to read through long pieces of text. It would be in an applicant’s benefit to stick to the word limit, as otherwise, they risk the chance of a reviewer skimming over their text and missing the essential points. Shortlisted candidates will have a chance to expand upon their proposed idea during the interview.
Photo © Simryn Gill, From the series Forest, 1996.
Copyright © 2024, PhotoSouthAsia. All Rights Reserved.
Cécile Poimboeuf-Koizumi
Tanvi Mishra
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Born in 1987, Cécile Poimboeuf-Koizumi is the owner and director of Chose Commune, a publishing house founded in 2014. Based in Marseille, France, Chose Commune makes book-objects with bold editorial and design choices in the fields of photography and works on paper. Alongside her work as a publisher and art director, Cécile Poimboeuf-Koizumi sometimes takes part in masterclasses and portfolio reviews in France (Agence VU’, FotoMasterclass, LE BAL, MEP, Eyes in Progress) and abroad (Chico Hot Springs Portfolio Review). Cécile Poimboeuf-Koizumi also runs a nomadic gallery project, presenting contemporary ceramics from Japan and beyond: aato gallery.
Photograph © Vasantha Yogananthan
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Tanvi Mishra works with images as a photo editor, curator, writer and educator. Among her interests are rights and representation in image-making, research strategies in visual culture as well as the notion of truth/fiction in photography, particularly in the current political landscape.
She has served as the Creative Director of The Caravan, a journal of politics and culture. She is part of the photo-editorial team of PIX, a South Asian publication and display practice. She has curated multiple exhibitions, including the Louis RoedererDiscovery Award for the 2023 edition of Recontres d'Arles. Tanvi has also been part of the curatorial teams of Photo Kathmandu, Delhi Photo Festival and BredaPhoto.
Her writing on photography has been published in various platforms including Aperture, FOAM, and 1000 Words. She has served on multiple juries, including World Press Photo, Chennai Photo Biennale Awards, and the Catchlight Global Fellowship, and is currently part of the International Advisory Committee of World Press Photo.
Photograph © Aditya Kapoor
20 November
