People are invited to ponder the potential of photography during “Photography Never Lies”, which is running at the Main Exhibition Gallery, 7th floor of Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Pathumwan intersection, until Sept 8.
Featuring photographic works by 13 local and international artists, the exhibition challenges the belief that photography is a tool that most straightforwardly reflects reality and various possibilities, creating truths that are essential in telling stories in news, education and history. Even the judicial process uses photographs to reach resolutions in many cases.
Considering the fact that the creation and selection of a photo often involves a complicated process of ideas, myths, mechanisms and even algorithms, this raises a question about the truthfulness of the images we see. Can they still reflect reality? What is the nature of this kind of truth? And, whose truth is it?
With the power of artificial intelligence and rapid technological advancement today, we can come up with new possibilities and nearly unlimited access to knowledge. This leads to a major ripple effect. While some photographers embrace these new technologies in their work, many have chosen to keep using traditional photographic approaches.
The exhibition encourages us to look at messages conveyed through images and ask ourselves whether we can still believe what our eyes see and how we should handle the manipulation of historical data or legal principles that are being challenged and negotiated.
Participating artists are Boris Eldagsen, Leslie Shang Zhefeng, Ioanna Sakellaraki, Manit Sriwanichpoom, Maria Mavropoulou, Miti Ruangkritya, Napasraphee Apaiwong, Patrik Budenz and Birte Zellentin, Piyatat Hemmatat, Pumipat Usapratumban, Robert Zhao Renhui, Sai and Tanapol Kaewpring.
