summer workshop

I am Mehdi Hesamizadeh, an independent Iranian photographer and composer. I have also done work in documentary filmmaking. Like most documentarians, in my photography I am interested in portraying things that exist as physical objects here and now but also, in some cases, as representations of realities which no longer exist. I create new images of these objects adding to many other visions created by others before me in the past. For me, the most interesting examples of documentary photography are works of unknown photographers from private archives, created with the genuine intention of documenting life and never intended for publications, exhibitions, or competitions. I am drawn to their sincerity.

After exploring different fields of photography and finding my own artistic way I became very interested in teaching photography because I see teaching as a window to my students’ different worlds which introduce me to novel ways of thinking/seeing and unknown subjects. I embrace this novelty and the discovery of the unknown as I seek to answer their questions with my experience and my knowledge of the experience of other photographers. Meanwhile, the dialogue which starts from my students’ objections – reflecting their different personalities and experiences – opens space for artistic creativity and personal discovery.

I am Natasha Markina, an artist from Russia. I have been doing analog photography for several years, but not professionally. For me, this is one of the ways to interact with the surrounding reality. Time and again I am fascinated by the transformation of time and space that occurs at the moment of shooting. Like a memory that changes our remembrances over time, the camera transforms the chosen moment and I never know how it will turn out on film. I like this interaction with randomness. Reality is already transforming as I look through the worn viewfinder glass.
And what I see in the viewfinder, and what I then get on the film, is much more like my memory of this moment than the moment itself. Photography gives me a transformed time, space and light.

In my work, I am interested in an interdisciplinary approach, the search for new forms and connections. In this course, I would like to create a space for joint experimentation and reflection on the possible forms of the existence of photography as a material object. The individual experience of cognition, which each of us transmits in his work, can resonate, collide and refract in unexpected ways as a result of joint work and dialogue. These unexpected discoveries are the most interesting for me.

Analog photography is manual by definition, it calls for “hands-on” experiments and requires a certain knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry. While digital photography provides an opportunity for trial and error practice, film photography is based on very specific calculations of light, color, and camera mechanism. The program will teach both theoretical and practical knowledge of film photography and offer plentiful opportunities for experimenting.

We will also explore together how the form of existence of photography in the material and digital space is influenced by a variety of aspects: dramaturgy and montage, time and light, volume and architecture. The areas that we will work with on the course through photography: books of complex constructions, cinema, light projection, sound installation and performance, space and materiality: experiments with light, mechanical and other types of influence on film, photography and the filming process.

Admission occurs in two stages: application and interview.

Filing an application

You can send an application to us by mail tseh.knigi@gmail.com marked "summer workshop" or fill out the form on the website below. In the application, indicate the name, surname, age, city and country of location, a short creative biography, a link to the portfolio, as well as a short text why you want to study with us. A portfolio can contain any manifestation of your creativity: photography, graphics, painting, ceramics, illustrations, videos, sketches, sculptures, texts and more. Your level can be anything.

Interview

If you successfully pass the first stage, we can invite you to an interview with Mehdi and Natasha in English and Russian online.

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