One of the parameters of photography is it documentalism. Any photographic image is naturally understood to have an inevitable documentary basis. The moment, the reality it captures, once existed; its reproduction can thus always become a document, albeit its importance will vary depending on the relevance of the photographed event.

However, in the course of photography's short history we have seen how this visual language has tended towards very different objectives, from the new German objectivity to the American direct image. Today's photographers are trained in art schools and set out to be artists, not photojournalists or documentalists. Over recent years, though, the work of a series of photographers has helped reconcile these disparate aspects. These artists start from the world of the image, from a culture deeply rooted in literature and from a global understanding of their societies and they create work that combines an unquestionable visual appeal —in other words, they are considered works of art and trade as such in art channels— while at the same time conceptually they focus on documenting situations, moments and places. Complementarily, these visual movements, which incorporate the idea and function of the document into the format of an art work are gradually altering the typology of traditional photojournalism and photographic documentation. The purpose of this season of lectures and debates on the documentary factor in modern photography is to examine the subject from the perspective of contemporary visual creation and to study its influence on movements in photography-as-art and on the way informative documentary photography and photojournalism have evolved to become less realistic and more symbolic.

Speakers: Cristina García Rodero, Begoña Zubero, José Manuel Navia, Carles Guerra.
Moderator: Rosa Olivares

The speakers include one internationally renowned theoretician, Carles Guerra, and a selection of widely-respected visual artists, who have won international prizes and had exhibitions at major venues but also teach at schools and universities in their respective countries, as well as giving lectures and writing articles on this and similar subjects. The work of all of these artists is recognised as an example of contemporary photographic art; nonetheless, they start from documentary premises and concepts to which they bring conceptual and symbolic visual formats, with the beauty and mystery of the image playing an essential role.

Programme

9 May, 7 pm: Carles Guerra 
10 May, 7 pm: Cristina García Rodero and Jose Manuel Navia. 
11 May, 7 pm: Begoña Zubero