Discover the exclusive conversation with Michel Poivert.
Recording Forever,
public lecture of Sorbonne University
About
With what, and with whom, does photography bring us into “contact” today?
Across all kinds of practices and sensibilities, it seems that a fundamental question has resurfaced in the wake of the AI revolution: is photography still an art of recording?
Tracing back to the origins of visual and sound recordings, we find that contemporary creation seeks to preserve the “entities” generated by technologies of imprint and transmission. The tangible nature of photographic prints remains deeply imbued with the intangible nature of the waves they capture.
We will therefore reflect on this spectral quality of recordings, asking whether photography might be one of the last domains of belief. We will propose that photographs should now be regarded as “manifestations” rather than “re-presentations.”
With Michel Poivert
Professor at Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University, writes, teaches, and advises students in the history of contemporary art and photography, with an emphasis on contemporary photography and media. His research and teaching combine close visual analysis with media archaeology and critical theory.
Program - Paris Photo 2025
See the full Paris Photo program.