Book Review: Multi Multi - Photoworks Annual 31

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Book Review: Multi Multi – Photoworks Annual 31

November 27th, 2024 by Cary Benbow

Photoworks‘ 31st Annual, Multi Multi, delves into the fascinating world of image replication. This unique hybrid of publication and exhibition, launched at Photoworks Weekender and ParisPhoto, challenges traditional notions of photographic value and authenticity.

Designed by Shaz Madani, the publication features 23 captivating projects, insightful essays by Andrew Dewdney and Michelle Henning, and an experimental AI-generated text by Alex Puliatti. Multi Multi invites readers to reconsider the very essence of the photographic image and its place in our increasingly digital culture. The perfect bound publication with embossed and foil stamped cover, and images faithfully printed on glossy stock is on the level of a museum-quality exhibition monograph.

Pioneering works by Henry Fox Talbot and Walter Benjamin laid the groundwork for exploring the implications of image reproduction. However, the digital age has accelerated this process, raising profound questions about the nature of the image in a world of endless duplication. Michelle Henning’s essay ‘Photography: The Unfettered Image’ and Andrew Dewdney’s ‘Forget Photography’ propose images as part of a flow, while recent developments in AI suggest attempts to create order from chaos.

Dewney’s essay astutely begs the viewer to consider “that visual attention has shifted from looking at single images to the relationship between images in temporal networked flows.” We are no longer considering images in the singularity by and large, and multiple presentations of the same image are to be considered a singular expression of an idea. This is not a new idea, but the format of Multi Multi gives the reader opportunity to consider replication and repetition as both a technique an expression.

Multi Multi brings together a diverse range of contemporary artists who embrace replication as a creative tool. From cutting-edge digital techniques to classic analog processes, the publication highlights the rich history and contemporary employ of image reproduction.

Featured artists

Paul Mpagi Sepuya
Juno x GERIKO
Scheltens & Abbenes
Lunga Ntila
Cai Dongdong
Jasleen Kaur
Zou Jingyao
Yuxing Chen
Louisa Clement
Jason Grant and Oliver Vodeb
Chuan-Lun Wu
Marcel Top
Armin Linke and Estelle Blaschke
Felicity Hammond
Thomas Sauvin and Max Pinckers
Anna Ridler
Kurt Caviezel
Ton Grote
Raena Abella
Sayako Sugawara
Luis Cobelo
Hoda Afshar
Lewis Bush

About Photoworks
Photoworks champions photography for everyone. They are an international platform, global in reach, and have provided opportunities for artists and audiences since 1995. Their programme brings new experiences to audiences and opens up new ways to encounter photography including the Photoworks Festival (next festival 2026). Photoworks is a registered charity and the only organisation with a national remit for photography in England. Photoworks is supported by public funding through Arts Council England’s National Portfolio.

To learn more about the events and see more work, please visit http://www.photoworks.org.uk

About Cary Benbow

Photographer, Writer, Publisher of Wobneb Magazine

View all posts by Cary Benbow →

Location: Online Type: Book Review

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