Circulation(s) 2022 — Selections
Circulation(s) has been, for more than a decade now, one of the introduction platforms to the future European talent. An essential stop for artists and professionals working with photography. The festival will be running for the next months and will be presenting works by 30 young European photographers, putting a special emphasis on the Armenian contemporary scene.
Its up-to-date programme includes a curated programme that brings together the general public as well as for those savvy visitors that will stop by to gather around photography. As with all our previous articles we invite you to discover new photographers. This is our ‘selections’, make sure you do your own!
Inspired by Exarcheia’s alternative vibe and unique energy, Romain captured the streets of various cities and the people who inhabit its nights. By creating an extensive urban archive made out of textures, colours and surfaces, he merges signified and signifier in a corpus that explores the surface of things, always keeping his own sensitive perspective to reality.
Romain Bagnard (b. 1979, France)
Playing between historical archives and science fiction, Green Diamond critiques the scientific and narrative character of the photographic medium. The title references a 1990s Chinese hi-tech company which experimented with chips that were designed to create sensory natural experiences. By reconstructing and compiling the archive of two former workers (Li Jian Ping and Gao Yue), Rachele exposes the destabilising use of photographic language and the echoes of a hyper-urbanity dystopia.
Rachele Maistrello (b. 1986, Italy)
Every European country has their own laws to regulate immigration. Focusing on the Spanish territory, Felipe Romero Beltran proposes a dialect beginning with a group of young immigrants who have crossed the Strait of Gibraltar avoiding border controls. Under Spanish law, if an underage person enters their territory in these circumstances, the custody and control of the immigrant falls in the state. This group of young immigrants have settled in Seville whilst their legal status is being decided. Felipe documents their story on this project which focuses on contemporary social issues accompanied by an exhaustive research of the subject.
Felipe Romero Beltran (b. 1992, Colombia / Spain)
Situated between East and West Europe, Poland is a huge country influenced by both cultures. Agnieszka opts for her native country as its principal subject in order to deconstruct it through a precise analysis of its own political, religious and social structures. Media and post-truth are also questioned in this project that tries to bring a little bit more of integrity in a divided country led by insecurity and uncertainty in the future.
Agnieszka Sejud (b. 1991, Poland)
After experimenting regularly with LSD in her early 20s, Sari Soininen ended up experiencing an extended psychotic episode, which changed her way of perceiving the world. Made years after this crisis, this project explores the alternative dimensions of reality and allows the audience to have a glimpse of what she discovered. Beyond all the difficulties Sari has been able to use these photographs to heal these traumatic events.
Sari Soininen (b. 1991, Finland)
Moving to Finland, helped Sheung Yiu to have a better understanding of the local forests. In his work, he investigates all kinds of scientific and photographic forms to have a better understanding of the perception of our surroundings. Sheung Yiu examines data and on-site studies that could develop reliable predictive models in order to “resurrect” trees. Technology and its development provide us new tools but paradoxically, the more we refine these assets, the more abstract our vision of the real world becomes.
Sheung Yiu (b. 1991, Hong Kong)
The Armenian artistic scene is in the spotlight at this year’s festival and we discovered some of the most amazing talent. One of the projects that stood out was Self-Destruction by Karen Khachaturov, a body of work that shows his own surrealistic view influenced by our digital era. As part of his vision, we witness faceless-characters who give an odd sense of loneliness and alienation of how the actual world functions. A strong critique to the societies of consumerism is present in his work but opposite of other contemporary photographers, Karen avoids the use of clichés to point out the real damage that these causes.
Karen Khachaturov (b. 1992, Armenia)
Hope you enjoy the article and if you want to discover more about emerging photography, you can find us on Instagram and on our website
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Text by:
Juan Blasco — Founder & Curator of Conceptual Projects
