Instant Film as Contemporary Art Monthly Series

Proceedings for the

Photography has been one of the drivers of aesthetics and visual culture. From Muybridge’s 19th century “Horse in Motion” series that led to the more accurate portrayal of horses in paintings, to Sherman’s 20th century photographs of immigrants that challenged the idea that portraits are reserved for the wealthy, and Minter’s photorealistic paintings — photography has played a critical role in the development of contemporary art. Instant film, whether that is Polaroid, Fujifilm, or other films, produces a unique object, each an edition of 1. Warhol, Newton, and McGinley are just some of the contemporary artists that experimented with this medium. Set against the backdrop of the rise of AI and the deluge of images, instant film brings a certain sense of nostalgia and perhaps honesty.

This series will ask some big questions with a focus on instant film: What makes a photograph contemporary art? Is the strength of a photograph determined by the event it captures? How do photographs gain cultural significance? What does success look like for a contemporary artist photographer today? Along the way, we will address enduring themes such as identify, memories, change, knowledge, and the social imaginaries captured by today’s photographs. This series is supported by Unbuilt Labs. Event proceedings will be published jointly by Unbuilt Labs and Visible Mag (https://Visible-mag.com). All participants are invited to submit up to 3 Polaroids / instant film photographs to be published in the event proceedings.