Exterior of CCP / Image courtesy CCP
Introducing... Centre for Contemporary Photography
18.3.19
In the first of our ongoing series of interviews where we introduce our program partners, we speak to Adam Harding, Director of Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP), about the significance of PHOTO 2020 taking place in Melbourne and why, in our current political and cultural climate, the way in which an image is used to convey or distort truth, is more important than ever.
The Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) was founded by a group of 13 photographers in 1986, and to this day CCP has maintained its focus in the photographic field. For over 30 years CCP has connected Melbourne’s photographic community to national and international discourse and developments in the sector, as well as forged a place within the ecology of Australia’s contemporary art organisations as a medium-specific gallery. For us, photography connects to the currency of everyday life, allows us to see the past more clearly and tests the boundaries for the development of a future Australia.
Throughout our history, we have engaged with artists, institutions, curators and most importantly those who produce work in the field of photography, to share its power with as many communities as possible. PHOTO 2020 represents an important opportunity to bring more communities together; we can’t wait to see how the power and beauty of the medium we have championed for over 30 years can transform our city.
The Art of Publishing: An Exhibition of MACK Books, 2018, Images courtesy CCP
The Art of Publishing: An Exhibition of MACK Books, 2018, Images courtesy CCP
Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia, and increasingly the focal point for international guests; the city, enlivened by the many excellent cultural institutions participating in the festival, and with a wealth of prominent civic spaces, provides the ideal platform for a city-wide festival celebrating photography. The calibre of participating galleries and dynamism of those civic spaces that will be activated will ensure the photographic medium (and the theme of ‘truth’) are prominent in the everyday experience of Melbourne locals and visitors alike.
Chen Wei: The Club, 2017, Image courtesy CCP / J Forsyth
Photography, on the surface, is considered by many to be a medium representing ‘truth’ – an accurate depiction of a moment in time. Of course, this isn’t necessarily always the case, and we’re increasingly seeing the power of an image to distort the truth, often to perpetuate a narrative or idea that serves a powerful agenda. We do need to consider, what is the relationship between photography and the truth; is it a tool to accurately convey, or is it more successful in its distortions?
CCP has a proud history of presenting exhibitions by prominent practitioners that powerfully and elegantly tackle complex ideas, and without giving anything away, I expect audiences will see CCP continue to surprise, celebrate the artists’ voice and entice us to look again.