Don’t Make Photographs, Think Them @ Chicago Cluster Project

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Don’t Make Photographs, Think Them @ Chicago Cluster Project

April 3rd, 2025 by fstop

unknown photographer, undated, Slemmons collection

Don’t Make Photographs, Think Them
March 28 – April 27, 2025

“When historical objects are deemed obsolete by archivists, historians, or other custodians, they present a critical opportunity for artists. Through their sensitivity and creative insight, artists are uniquely positioned to reevaluate historical visual materials and recontextualize them within contemporary concerns and practices. Photographers, in particular, are deeply engaged with the economy of images—their production, reproduction, and reinterpretation. Today, image production intersects with nearly every facet of the global economy and ecology, often carrying significant social, economic, political, and environmental consequences. Photography, in both its analog and digital forms, is inherently tied to these issues and must be continuously examined and challenged by contemporary cultural producers.”

““Don’t make photographs, think them” was the motto of Hedrich & Blessing Photographers, a firm renowned for its innovative architectural photography that sought to capture the spirit of buildings. Operating from 1929 to 2017, the studio documented many of the defining works of 20th-century architecture while also supporting emerging Chicago photographers by hosting exhibitions in its headquarters as early as 1935. Today, the property at 400 N. Peoria is under the care of the Litowitz Family and continues to serve as a venue for the arts.”

Chicago Cluster Project @ former Hedrich & Blessing Photographers
400 N. Peoria
Chicago, IL

Location: Chicago, Illinois, Online Type: Exhibition

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