9 – 29 May: Exhibition: Imprinted by Light – Techniques of Cameraless Photography

Imprinted by Light – Techniques of Cameraless Photography is dedicated to abstract and experimental photography created without the use of a camera in the traditional sense. In addition to a didactic project from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, featuring a wide array of analog and digital photographic experiments, the exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of cameraless techniques.

Curated by Joost Pantelmann and Andreas Wieser, the exhibition showcases the results of the seminar This Is Not a Photograph!, held during the 24/25 winter semester under the guidance of then-contract professor Thomas Mayfried. At the heart of this research was an investigation into how photographic images generate meaning. Reflecting on this, Mayfried notes:

“Let us focus on the reading of images. Clear, concrete images no longer take hold, so let us try with vague, blurred—abstract—images. Let us imagine producing a photograph without a camera: a photogram, ‘the absolute peculiarity of photography’ (László Moholy-Nagy, 1927). As image producers equipped with semiotic tools, we are interested—now more than ever—in the experimental possibility of playing with the conventions of representation, thereby questioning the construction of meaning.”

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the project’s culmination: a publication that brings together abstract interpretations of significant events from the 20th century. Since the images often evoke ambivalent associations when viewed in isolation, they are accompanied by precise texts that guide the perceptual process. With most participants having been born in the 21st century, their selection offers a fascinating insight into the historical perspectives of a new generation.

Additionally, the exhibition provides a technical overview of photograms, cyanotypes, and scannograms, illustrated through original prints and enlargements. At an interactive station, visitors are invited to try their hand at the scannogram technique.

Featuring works by: Argentina Carrino, Matteo Dal Pra, Marianna Franceschi, Adisa Habibovic, Nikolaos Mavropoulos, Joost Pantelmann, Sonja Sieder, Teti Vismara, Andreas Wieser.