Being: New Photography 2018

MoMA

New York, 11 West 53rd Street

Since its inception in 1985, New Photography has introduced more than 100 artists from around the globe, and it is a key component of the Museum’s contemporary program. Every two years, New Photography presents urgent and compelling ideas in recent photography and photo-based art. This year’s edition, Being, asks how photography can capture what it means to be human. On view from March 18 through August 19, 2018, the exhibition includes over 80 new and recent works by 17 artists from eight countries. While at various stages in their careers, all are presenting their work at the Museum for the first time. Being: New Photography 2018 is organized by Lucy Gallun, Assistant Curator, Department of Photography.

Yazan Khalili. Hiding our faces like a dancing wind. 2016 (still). Video (color, no sound), 7 min., 30 sec.. Courtesy the artist and Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai. © 2018 Yazan Khalili

At a time when questions about the rights, responsibilities, and dangers inherent in being represented—and in representing others—are being debated around the world, the works featured in Being call attention to assumptions about how individuals are depicted and perceived. Many challenge the conventions of photographic portraiture, or use tactics such as masking, cropping, or fragmenting to disorient the viewer. In others, snapshots or found images are taken from their original context and placed in a new one to reveal hidden stories. While some of the works might be considered straightforward representations of individuals, others do not include images of the human body at all. Together, they explore how personhood is expressed today, and offer timely perspectives on issues of privacy and exposure; the formation of communities; and gender, heritage, and psychology.

On view through August 19, 2018