This richly illustrated catalogue considers the power of photography and its mobilisation within systems of knowledge and representation. Rather than just thinking about what photographs show, Living Pictures asks: what do photographs do? It acknowledges that photographs have lives—they move and they act—and in the process, they affect the world around them. This catalogue accompanies the world’s first-ever survey of the medium’s histories across Southeast Asia, from its earliest beginnings in the 19th century until its diverse contemporary manifestations. Special emphasis is placed on photography’s creation, circulation and consumption, as well as how these processes have shaped the visual regimes of the region. In addition to essays by the curators and interviews with artists and photographers featured in the exhibition, the catalogue showcases new research by leading international scholars focusing on the interdisciplinary intersections between photography and art history, archaeology and cultural theory.

This richly illustrated catalogue considers the power of photography and its mobilisation within systems of knowledge and representation. Rather than just thinking about what photographs show, Living Pictures asks: what do photographs do? It acknowledges that photographs have lives—they move and they act—and in the process, they affect the world around them. This catalogue accompanies the world’s first-ever survey of the medium’s histories across Southeast Asia, from its earliest beginnings in the 19th century until its diverse contemporary manifestations. Special emphasis is placed on photography’s creation, circulation and consumption, as well as how these processes have shaped the visual regimes of the region. In addition to essays by the curators and interviews with artists and photographers featured in the exhibition, the catalogue showcases new research by leading international scholars focusing on the interdisciplinary intersections between photography and art history, archaeology and cultural theory.