This exhibition at the Archeology of Photography Foundation focuses on selected customary ways of depicting “free time” in the 20th-century private photography. Family albums, negatives and slides—loans brought together by the Foundation—reveal a diverse image of this phenomenon. This is, to some extent, caused by the character of amateur photography— highly conventionalized and at the same being a means of expression of one’s “self”; undergoing evolution from documenting key biographical moments in the family narrative, to a turn towards the everyday and the intimate. The exhibition presents the iconography of “free time” created by amateur photographers, and seeks to move beyond straightforward quotations of sentimental scenes of relax of past generations.
Photographs in the exhibition come from the following collections:
1930s: private archive of negatives of Zofia Chomętowska; 1920s: collection of negatives of the Grodecki family, Interwar period: family albums from the archive of Maria Poprzęcka as well as Janusz Krajewski; 1940: album from a motorcycle trip from the collection of Zofia and Janusz Krotkiewski; 1960s and 70s: slides from the archive of Jan Ebert.
The program of the opening day includes:
– 11.00-13.00 – Cyanotype Workshop „Postcards from Andersa” – for children aged 5 and above with parents!
– 14.00-16.00 – Portrait Station – souvenir photographs with strong man and a surprise!
– 16.00-18.00 – Advice Point “Bring Your Own Photograph” – an opportunity to present and discuss your own photographs of “free time”
The exhibition and workshops are part of Saturday at Tekla’s (Sobota u Tekli) family picnic with culture! From 11.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. various organizations from Warsaw’s Muranów district hold an open feast, the program includes different workshops for children, youth, and adults, meetings, as well as other attractions.
Organizers: Center for Yiddish Culture of the Shalom Foundation, Archeology of Photography Foundation, Café Foundation, Stowarzyszenie Przyjaciół Integracji, Foundation For Promoting Contemporary Art, Association Serduszko dla Dzieci, Association Muranów Station, Association Starter, Czarne Publishing House, Gazeta Muranowska, Centrum Karmelicka, High School no. 7 and Junior High School no. 55 in Warsaw, Healthy Food Store EkoDary.pl
Faces of “Free Time”
Opening: June 23, 2012 (Saturday), at noon
Part of Saturdays at Tekla’s (Soboty u Tekli) – family picnic with culture!
The exhibition runs June 25th through August 21st 2012
Curated by Julia Odnous
The exhibition and workshops were co-funded by the Municipality of Warsaw — District Śródmieście
The space in 13 Andersa St. was made available to the Archeology of Photography Foundation for cultural activities with the help of the Office of the Śródmieście District of Warsaw.
