„It has been a really special experience for me to participate in Krakow Photomonth 2012. I’ve been observing this festival over the past few years and I’ve been really impressed by its agile, ambitious, and intelligent approach to photographic culture. Krakow Photomonth reflects what is on the minds of many of us in the photographic community. As I have got to know the organisers and their creative collaborators in Poland, it’s become clear to me that this spirit of enquiry stems from a genuine founding principle to create a meaningful focus for photography—one that is unique, specific to its location, and internationally resonant. This principle aim is not limited to Photomonth’s exhibitions and institutional partnerships, but exists as an ongoing commitment. Krakow Photomonth is generous to its viewers and participants: it is expansive in the scope of photography that it shows and discusses, its programme is inclusive, and it aligns Polish photography with the salient concerns and themes in the world today. Tellingly, Krakow Photomonth doesn’t just end once the hoopla of the opening weekend has subsided; it is a much more dedicated, meaningful exploration of photography.

 

It is in the spirit of Krakow Photomonth’s ongoing investigation into the values and future of photographic practice that I joined the team developing the 2012 programme. This has given me the opportunity to participate in shaping initiatives that will not only grow during the month-long programme but will be developed in future years in meaningful and sustainable ways. Bunkier is such an amazing space: having hosted many of Krakow’s most innovative artistic exhibitions and events, it is the perfect venue for the programmatic hub of Photomonth. Working with many talented people in the fields of art, education, and curatorship based mainly in Krakow and Warsaw, we developed ideas that are spirited and participatory, with the core aim of creating a public platform for contemporary positions on photography. 

 

In the broadest sense, we have developed a series of events and experiences that respond to the main question that concerns us—how to construct a history of photography in Poland. Just as Krakow Photomonth is not preoccupied with mimicking other more established photography festivals, it will not emulate the canons of western photography histories. Because of both the calibre of the Polish creators of this programme and the innovative energy of Photomonth, something unique to the incredible photographic culture of Poland is about to begin."

 

Charlotte Cotton

 

 

 

Charlotte Cotton is a curator and writer who has worked mainly in museums and non-profit spaces in the UK and the US. Most recently, she was the creative director of Media Space, which will open at The Science Museum London in 2013. She has also been a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum (1992–2004) and The Photographers’ Gallery (2004–2005) in London and was the head of the Wallis Annenberg Department of Photography at LACMA (2007–2009). Charlotte is the author of The Photograph as Contemporary Art and was the founder of wordswithoutpictures.org and conceived of the forthcoming eitherand.org. Charlotte is also the curator of Photography is Magic! the main exhibition at the Daegu Photo Biennale (September 2012)in South Korea. She is currently learning about the potential of epublishing for communicating cultural ideas and is a hands on board member of The Resilience Space (theresiliencespace.com) in the UK, a not-for-profit organisation set up to provide resources, learning and skills for individuals and groups seeking to cope with difficult situations.