Structures of Identity – Photography from The Walther Collection

In the exhibition Structures of Identity, Foam presents a selection of photographic works from The Walther Collection. Structures of Identity examines how photographers have used portraiture to affirm or challenge social stereotypes constructed around notions of race, gender, class, and nationality. Iconic works by photographers including August Sander, Richard Avedon and J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere are combined with the work of contemporary photographers such as Yto Barrada, Samuel Fosso, Zanele Muholi and Guy Tillim (both from South Africa). Works of vernacular photography, from a range of cultures and historical periods, are also on view. Photographic portraits are more than mementoes of friends and family. They are markers of social identity. Reflecting on the ways that portrait photography has been deployed, Structures of Identity visualises the political and cultural factors that shape individual and collective subjectivities, with a particular focus on the relation between self-representation and social identity.

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