The 9th Triennial of Photography in Hamburg, brings together a broad spectrum of photographic voices that challenge dominant narratives, reclaim overlooked perspectives, and foster dialogue across social and cultural divides. Curated by Autograph's Director, Professor Mark Sealy, the exhibition honours photography's capacity to evoke emotion, unsettle norms, and reveal what often remains unseen.
Featured in the presentation, Ebony G. Patterson's ... three kings weep ... uses beauty, fashion, and lush decorative motifs to confront the violence experienced by Black people. Three young men sit weeping before a backdrop of floral wallpaper and artificial butterflies, while a reverse-played video shows them gradually dressing in colourful, dancehall-inspired clothing, jewellery and carnival dress. Their silent performance is punctuated by a recitation of Jamaican-born writer Claude McKay's 1919 poem If We Must Die, written in response to racial violence in the United States. As the video concludes, each man crowns himself with a distinctive accessory, asserting their dignity and resilience.
Click here for the Triennial of Photography Hamburg website.
