Voices of the South Atlantic

Timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Falklands/Malvinas war, Voices of the South Atlantic examines issues of war and its consequences. Rooted in the 1982 Falklands/ Malvinas conflict, it includes the voices of people who fought on both sides, as well as civilians who were directly affected. Colour photographs of landscapes of the islands and black and white seascapes of the South Atlantic, act as visual metaphors that allude to feelings of menace, courage and fear, at the same time showing physical traces of war. Through juxtaposing photographs of scarred landscapes with testimonies from British and Argentine veterans and Falkland Islanders, a dialogue is established between the time needed for the terrain to heal and the period the men themselves need to recover.
We will be running a study visit to Voices of the South Atlantic on Friday 22 June from 11.30. The gallery is Penarth and there are regular trains from Cardiff. This is our first study visit in Wales and there are 12 places available. The visit will commence with a tour and informal discussion of Groisman’s work with one of the exhibition organisers at Ffotogallery. Students are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the project before to get the most of this opportunity for a rich discussion. After this there will be two informal ‘show and tell’ ‘around table’ tutorial sessions. The idea is for photography students (enrolled on any photography module) to bring some of their own work in progress to discuss. It might be an assignment in the making, or perhaps a personal project that they are considering to develop into an assignment. Ffotogallery has kindly offered its gallery space to host the seminar, which should provide an inspiring backdrop to discuss our work.
For open learning students, sharing work face-to-face with a tutor and/or peers may seem like a daunting prospect, but hopefully interested students will recognise the benefits of getting some instant peer feedback on their work. It will also be a good opportunity to talk about other more general issues relating to photography. A commitment to participating in the seminar is a prerequisite for signing up for the study visit. Students who sign up and aren’t sure of what they should bring can get in touch with me via the OCA prior to the visit. Please bring prints only, or your own laptop if you only have your work digitally.
To book your place, which is free, please email enquiries@oca-uk.com
Jesse Alexander
Voices of the South Atlantic is a partnership project between Ffotogallery, Autograph ABP and Photofusion, with a series of linked exhibitions and events hosted in London, Wales and Plymouth. (It is currently on show at Photofusion, Brixton, until 25th May)
[Image: Bomb Crater at Wireless Ridge, 2006, from the Voices of the South Atlantic series, (c) Adriana Groisman]