“Images of Conflict and Peace” is panel with four photographers and a scholar discussing a curated collection of exhibits from the Social Documentary Network archives that address the topic of conflict and peace. This body of photography was selected based on both its geographic location and subject matter. The project and panel were built to parallel the subject matter in panelist Dr. Lauren Walsh’s NYU Gallatin seminar Photographing Peace. The four areas of focus are Bosnia & Herzegovina, Rwanda, Colombia, and the United States (more specifically, the summer of racial justice in 2020). These four areas may be completely different in terms of location, yet they create an overarching conversation on peace and how it is depicted in photography.
Peace photography, a fairly recent subset of photojournalism, takes on an advocacy role by utilizing the camera as a tool to spread awareness and hold bad actors accountable. Instead of simply photographing what they see, peace photographers will use pictures to help people understand the political, economic, and social systems causing the violence depicted elsewhere. Our panelists were selected based on their different depictions of peace in their imagery, just as varied as geographic locations photographed.
Promo photo by Carol Allen Storey