Mise en sein: Photography in the Age of The Happy Slave

aus seeing by ear. Essener Gespräche zur Fotografie · 20.03.2026 · 33 Min.

Beschreibung

A lecture by Terrence Phearse, Studio Museum in Harlem & Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, Portland Chair: Mona Leinung, Folkwang University of the Arts What if the core of photography’s future is about presence, recognition, and political witness? In his lecture, Terrence Phearse argues that generative AI transforms photography not merely technically nor aesthetically, but ontologically and politically. When images no longer rely on real-world existence, the structures of visibility and acknowledgment – historically vital for Black ontology – are threatened. With various historical biases from Kodak’s Shirley Cards to modern algorithmic misclassifications he demonstrates how code can amplify existing power structures. Follow this session to explore how images may look photographic but leave no trace of actual events, undermining photography’s promise as evidence. Can photography continue to resist »bad faith« (Sartre) when machines produce mass, context-free images? Join the conversation and leave a comment to speculate with Terrence and us. This session was recorded on February 4, 2026, on the occasion of the 3rd Essen Symposium for Photography »What Will Photography Be? An Invitation to Speculate«, hosted by the Essen Center for Photography. Photo credit: Essen Center of Photography / Silviu Guiman