The experience of viewing photographs in a deliberately designed exhibition space is fundamentally different than seeing the images on a digital display or the printed page. In the history of photography, there are certain significant photo exhibitions that you encounter again and again. What made these exhibitions in particular stand out and retain their relevance today?

This course is for people who want to develop a deeper understand of how the presentation of images in a physical space can — or has, historically — created new narratives and perspectives. We will look at historical group photography exhibitions and consider questions such as: what types of images were exhibited? how were the photographs displayed? who were the photographers? who were the organizers? why are these exhibitions still remembered today? 

Participants will visit an exhibition on their own during the course, document it photographically, and make a presentation to the group. Through lecture, discussion, and mutual analytical exercises, we will learn how individual 20th-century photography shows — ranging from New York to Johannesburg to Tokyo — became landmark exhibitions and how they can inform our storytelling today.