In “What Good Is a Photograph?”, Ric Kasini Kadour writes, “The photograph as language, as a tool of everyday communication, is not new. Twentieth century theorists have wrung every possible drop out of visual literacy as a concept. It does not explain a problem curator Marvin Heiferman frames as, ‘We know that photographs work, but not quite how they do.’ This is dangerous. We may go misunderstood. Or worse, we may be misunderstood by others…Knowing how something works is key to using it effectively.”

The mediums of collage and photography are bound together in an ongoing dialogue. The photographer makes pictures of the world. The collagist remixes those pictures to tell a story about the world we live in. “Today, we’re taking more photos than at any previous time in history,” noted EyeEm contributor Lars Mensel. “Many photographers are asking themselves how to set their work apart from that of their peers. Photography has become less about the skill to take technically perfect pictures–most modern smartphones accomplish this at the touch of a button–but how pictures are combined to tell a story.”

The Photography & Collage Artist Residency will invite photographers and collage artists to come together in dialogue, learn from one another, and make artwork for a series of exhibitions that explore the intersection of collage and photography. Unfolding in two tracks over the course of a week, we will ask, What happens when a collagist picks up the camera? What happens when a photographer collages their pictures? Presentations will explore collage in theory, artist practice, the ecosystem of art, the state of photography, and the history of photography and collage. Artists will shoot on film, explore the dark room, and make collage with the results. Artists will also shoot digital images which will be printed as collage material.

During the residency, artists will make an artwork that will be exhibited at the New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery. The exhibition will take place 9 June-28 July 2024 at the New Orleans Photo Alliance Center (7800 Oak Street, New Orleans). A reception will take place on Wednesday, 12 June 2024, 5:30-8:00PM as part of Kolaj Fest New Orleans, 12-16 June 2024.

After the residency, artists will invited to submit 3-5 artworks that will be considered for an exhibition at Kolaj Institute in December as part of PhotoNOLA 2024, an annual celebration of photography in New Orleans, produced by the New Orleans Photo Alliance in partnership with museums, galleries, and alternative venues citywide.

The residency is led by Dafna Steinberg, MFA, professor of darkroom photography at Delaware County Community College, and Lance Rothstein, a photojournalist and street artist who operates the darkroom and teaches photography and collage workshops at the Morean Art Center in Saint Petersburg, Florida. The project is being curated by Ric Kasini Kadour, Director of Kolaj Institute and a 2020-2021 Curatorial Fellow of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and produced in partnership with the New Orleans Photo Alliance.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

The residency is intended for artists with a practice of collage and/or photography who want to explore the intersections of the two mediums. Residencies are open to any artist over the age of 21 from anywhere in the world.

COST

The cost of the residency is $950 USD per artist. Kolaj Institute has a limited number of grants available to offset the cost of the residency for those in need. These grants are possible through the generous support of our donors. Travel to and from New Orleans, accommodations in New Orleans, and all meals are the responsibility of the artist.

RESIDENCY LOGISTICS

Virtual Preliminary Session: Monday, 6 May 2024, 4-6PM EDT

Dates of Residency in New Orleans: Monday, 13 May to Friday, 17 May 2024.

In-person activities take place at Kolaj Institute, 2374 Saint Claude Avenue, Suite 230, starting at 10AM on Monday, 13 May 2024 to 4PM, Friday, 17 May 2024.

Participating artists will have 24-hour access to the space from 10AM on Monday, 13 May 2024 to 4PM, Friday, 17 May 2024.

Kolaj Institute stocks general collage-making materials such as cutting mats, scissors, a variety of glues, substrates, and books and magazines. If an artist wishes to use specific materials they may be shipped in advance to the Kolaj Institute Studio & Gallery.

Darkroom activities will take place at the New Orleans Photo Alliance on Oak Street on Tuesday and Wednesday. Cameras and printers will be provided though artists are invited to use their own cameras. Darkroom supplies will be available. Time in the darkroom will be facilitated.