a transdisciplinary research project curated by camera publica

We aim to explore the potential of photography as a tool for social and cultural change.

Multimedia essay
Multimedia essay

The project is structured into several sections

A research thesis that examines the relationship between photography and various social and cultural variables, such as the impact of new technologies on communication and human interaction.

The thesis is presented here in the form of a novel.  The novel will draw on insights and knowledge from disciplines such as sociology, psychology, philosophy, and political science. 

Plus a curated selection of new, uncommon and rare photography publications and artists’ books, which will be used as a tool to facilitate conversation and discussion about the themes and ideas explored in the thesis. 

 

 

All the books and materials used in the research at the moment are housed in a physical space called ONEROOM, an open studio in the heart of Rome, and will be accessible to anyone interested in discussing the themes of the project.

Another section of the project is a virtual space called camera publica, which will initially be used to make multimedia content from the project easily available in a static form. 

In a second step, the website will be developed embedding an API to include interactive features, such as the ability for users to search and explore the content in more depth, in a direct dialogue with a fine-tuned version of a generative AI natural language model. 

Finally, if funding and resources allow, the project will include the development of a mathematical model of simulation, which will take into account the variables identified in the thesis, as well as data on factors such as technology use, media exposure, and social inequality. 

This model will be accompanied by an interactive interface, which will allow users to manipulate and experiment with the variables in order to explore different scenarios and potential outcomes.

 

Overall, the goal of this project is to use photography as a tool to foster greater understanding and cohesion within society, and to explore the potential of this medium to help address some of the most pressing issues facing our world today.

Image created by DALL-E 2

“Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, was called by the great writers Jorge Luis Borges and José Saramago to lead a new and fascinating adventure. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and the story of Don Quixote, the two writers decided to tell the story of Socrates in a new key, updating the character and his adventures.

In this book, Socrates finds himself immersed in a journey through the intricacies of human experience, exploring the complexities of the world and the ways photography can help us understand it. He will examine how photography can be used as a tool for introspection and self-determination, and explore photography’s social and political implications, showing how it can be used to reveal injustices and inspire change.

Socrates’ journey will not be limited to one perspective. Still, it will span a wide range of cultures, disciplines and ways of understanding the world. In this exciting book, readers will be taken on a unique adventure, accompanied by one of history’s greatest thinkers, to discover how photography can save the world.”