ZUR + DD

A new platform dedicated to research & creation

In 2020 we founded Zur, a new platform dedicated to research, creation and exchange that aims to interrogate the photographic practices that are currently taking place in Latin America, focusing in particular on the links that these establish (or not) with the ways of making and thinking about photography that are developing in other regions of the planet. In this sense, Zur seeks to problematize the territory of "Latin American photography" by discussing its displacements, borders, hybridizations, cross breedings, decentralizations, delusions, contradictions, utopias, and dystopias. The interest of Zur is thus to put in tension the Latin American photographic practice with all its otherness, but not only with those who inhabit the "outside" but also in its own "inside".

ZUR is composed of a team of two artist-teachers-researchers : Alejandro Leon Cannock & Sergio Valenzuela Escobedo.

-June 2023. ZUR presents " Global South solidarity day " at the Dd Studio a reading room on actual protest book from Latin America.

-May 2021. ZUR presents " DE AQUI PA ALLA " at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie (Arles- ENSP). a reading group project with the students from the school.

Books and magazines about nature and jungle displayed on a table.

Talk: Editied Nina & Roberta

Nina Bačun & Roberta Bratović talking about their work as photobook designers and members of the collective Oaza. Their talk is concerned around the topics that occupy their practice, books that they co-create, design and publishing in an all female collective.

Talk: Anthony Luvera

Working with people who have experienced homelessness for over 15 years, Anthony Luvera uses photography as a tool for expression, self-determination and social activism. In a conversation with Sunil Shah, examples from several projects which build community through collaboration and amplify voices of those socially excluded is discussed.

ONCE UPON A TIME: ONLINE TALKS

Talk: Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger

Why Exhibit: Positions on Exhibiting. In her lecture 'Why Exhibit - Positions on Exhibiting Photography' Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger talks about beds, windows, screens, and attitudes. She discusses attempts to curate contemporary documentary photography and a feminist business of display.

Talk : Ricardo Báez

Ricardo talking about his work as a photobook designer, and sharing some of his projects. In particular insight into the amazing journey of Mathieu Asselin's book Monsanto.

Talk - Max Pinckers

Contesting photography's documentary status for a decade now, Max Pinckers has produced a number of projects that navigate around a set of critical questions. In a post-truth world, these questions have become even more relevant and pressing.

In this talk with Sunil Shah, he discusses his work and processes and sheds light on the speculative futurity of the medium.

Talk - Hans Gremmen

Hans Gremmen talking about his work as a photobook designer, and sharing some of his selected projects. Hans Gremmen is a graphic designer, based in Amsterdam. He works in the field of photography, architecture and fine arts and has designed over 300 books, and won various awards for his experimental designs. Among them a Golden Medal in the Best Book Design from all over the World competition. In 2008, he founded publishing house Fw:Books; a publishing house with a focus on photography related projects and books. Together with Roma Publications and Premiss he recently started ENTER ENTER, a space for books; a project space in the centre of Amsterdam which explores the boundaries of the book.