Photobooks: In Circulation – Open talk series
Photobooks: In Ciculation – Online Open talk series
Organized by Johannes Romppanen and Aalto Photography In partnership with Utopias Lahti, Photobooks from Finland and in collaboration with bookRoom, Reflektor.
Sauli Sirviö
Saturday April 25th, 2 pm – 4 pm Register here
Karl Larsson
Wednesday May 13th, 6 pm – 8 pm Register here
Julia Mejnertsen
Wednesday May 20th, 6 pm – 8 pm. Register here
A photobook is not just a collection of photographs – it is a form of thinking in constant flux. We invite three speakers who work with photographic publications as a form of interconnected media. This year, the program concentrates on the nordics, with speakers from Finnish, Swedish and Danish scenes. Each guest will share their practice, with a focus on sustainable and circular modes of production and the social practices taking place around publications. Each session consists of a talk followed by a Q&A discussion with the audience.
Sauli Sirviö’s artistic practice is grounded in fieldwork and archiving. His archives consist of publications, photographs, and an extensive collection of found artefacts. In December 2024, he published Archiving ’en plein air’ (Utu Press), which was selected for the Finnish Book Art Committee’s ”Beautiful Books of the Year 2024” -collection.
Karl Larsson is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice intersects photography, archival activism, and independent publishing. Since 2003, he has amassed The Million Project—an unprecedented archive of over two million photographs documenting the structures of everyday life. This monumental body of work serves as the engine for PUUT –Publicering & Utlåning, a nomadic artist’s book library initiated in 2018.
Julia Mejnertsen is a Copenhagen-based artist whose work explores family mythologies. Through her practice, she unravels the intricate stories and narratives that shape our familial connections, revealing the profound impact they have on our identities and perceptions of self. Mejnertsen is a founder of Blankt Papir press, a nano-publishing house specialising in handmade, limited edition artist photobooks.
Organizer
Aalto Photography – The Photography major at Aalto University supports the research and development of the photobook as an artistic medium through our curricular structure and workshops. We encourage students to experiment and play within the medium, while also stressing the role of circulation and distribution in the success of any book. At Aalto, the photobook is more than a compilation of photographs, but an expressive medium in its own right. For questions, contact Johannes Romppanen
Partners
Reflektor is a community of committed photographers and photobook lovers from all photographic genres and photographic endeavours. As a label, Reflektor places self-published photobooks under a common name and offers them a “home”. To authors, Reflektor offers support for the implementation of self-published photobooks, promoting the sharing of know-how and contacts in the writing, graphic design and printing processes.
bookRoom is a post-digital research and publishing platform within the school of Fine Art, Craft and Photography at UCA Farnham, led by Emmanuelle Waeckerlé. We explore new models of collaborative and multidisciplinary practice-based research that we share and disseminate in 3 formats; open access online, print form and public events. In addition, the bookRoom collection of Artists’ Books, Photobooks and Zines, is part of the University’s Archives & Special Collections, led by Felicity Croydon, which offers a unique insight into forgotten realms, providing students and staff original primary sources for research and learning in the creative arts for staff and students.
Photobooks from Finland is a collaborative platform dedicated to promoting contemporary Finnish photobook culture. It highlights innovative publications, organizes events, and creates networks both nationally and internationally. Through its activities, Photobooks from Finland aims to foster dialogue, collaboration, and critical discussion around photobooks as a significant artistic medium.