FLATS FORUM
FLATS Forum is a new conversation series creating space for photographers, artists, and members of our wider community to engage critically with the ideas shaping contemporary photographic practice.
Poster design by Andres Soler
Meeting 1: FOUR PERSPECTIVES ON PHOTOGRAPHING PROTEST
Our first meeting, Four Perspectives on Photographing Protest, responds to the growing number of photographers documenting recent ICE actions and protests across Houston. As more people feel called to record this moment, it is increasingly important to consider the responsibilities that accompany that impulse.
When does photography serve a movement, and when does it use one? What separates witnessing from spectacle? What do consent and accountability look like in public space? How should photographers approach moments of trauma, grief, or arrest—and how have the surveillance overlords changed the stakes and ethics of documenting them?
Four speakers will consider these questions from distinct but intersecting perspectives:
THE INSIDER WITNESS, Joe Robles
Independent Documentary Photographer
THE WORKING PHOTOJOURNALIST, Raquel Natalicchio
Houston Chronicle
THE ORGANIZER’S PERSPECTIVE, Cesar Espinosa
Lead Organizer, FIEL Houston
THE HISTORICAL RECORD, Cammie Tipton-Amini
Photo Historian, Writer, and Educator
Each speaker will give a short presentation shaped by their own experiences as a starting point for generative dialogue, followed by a loosely moderated group discussion exploring how protest is witnessed, framed, circulated, and remembered.
Photographers and non-photographers alike are invited to join us for this timely community conversation.
Tuesday, September 29th 6–8 PM
FLATS
2402 Montrose Blvd.
Community Classroom — Upstairs
*Beverages will be provided*
FLATS programming is sponsored by Fresh Arts and is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.