ON PHOTOGRAPHY. Chance / Singularity / Adventure

In his classic philosophical work “Camera Lucida”, Roland Barthes introduces the concept of “studium” — a general field of cultural knowledge that allows a person to often understand the subject and circumstances of a photograph: who is depicted and what is happening in the shot. Even without captions or additional information.

As the opposite of the concept of “studium”, Barthes introduces the notion of “punctum” — a small detail, a fragment that draws attention to the photograph, disturbs, and attracts the viewer’s gaze. “Punctum” does not convey information; rather, it functions like a punctuation mark, evoking a strong emotional response. “Punctum” is linked to individual perception. Within the exhibition space, we invite viewers to observe how different people observe the same images, which stories they linger on, what holds their attention.

Photography has a special connection to its referent. An artist is able to depict something they have never seen, but a photograph stays always in relation to real objects, as if telling the viewer: “It was actually there, in front of the lens.”

Photography is inherently linked to the functioning of the camera. As philosopher Vilém Flusser puts it, it is a “technical image,” and the operator “can only photograph what is able to be photographed.” The exhibition demonstrates how evolving possibilities, related to the construction of the apparatus and the development of photosensitive materials, shaped both what and how things were photographed.

Another defining feature of photography, except the earliest techniques, is its reproducibility. Creating digital copies is one of the museum’s current tasks. For historical purposes, it is important to preserve the traces of time — stains, losses, and damage — while producing an accurate reproduction of the document. Meanwhile, digital restoration could make a photograph more legible, revealing details that have nearly vanished over time. This exhibition is the first to bring this dilemma to the viewer’s attention.

The works on display contain “errors”, “breaks,” and “glitches” that invite careful examination and reflection on the image. Within the exhibition space and the context of collective viewing it becomes clear that perception depends on countless circumstances, and that photography, by its very nature, as Roland Barthes said, is “chance, singularity, adventure.”