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0HOTOGRAPHS BY 3ANTIAGO %SCOBAR *ARAMILLO (OLLY 'ILBERT 0AUL (ALLIDAY -ARJOLEIN (OUBEN 2ACHEL *ONES $AVID +ENDALL $AVID +ILLEEN ,ANIS ,EVY 2EBECCA ,OCKE (OLLY -C'LYNN %STELLE 6INCENT &RANCESCA 7EBER .EWTH ,AURA 7ESTER ,ORENZ 7IDMAIER #URATED BY $AVID +ENDALL AND ,ANIS ,EVY %DITED BY ,ISA 2OBERTSON EDITOR VIEWüNDER ORG UK $ESIGN BY -ANDANA !HMADVAZIR DESIGNER VIEWüNDER ORG UK !LSO AVAILABLE AS A COLOUR E PUBLICATION WWW VIEWüNDER ORG UK SHOP 0UBLISHED BY 6IEWüNDER 0HOTOGRAPHY 'ALLERY ,INEAR (OUSE 0EYTON 0LACE 'REENWICH ,ONDON 3% 23 WWW VIEWüNDER ORG UK &IRST PUBLISHED !PRIL 4HE ARTISTS AND AUTHORS
4HE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLISHER OR EDITOR !CKNOWLEDGMENTS 4HANK YOU TO 'ABRIELLE "ENDINERp6IANI ,OUISE &ORRESTER 0AUL (ALLIDAY #AROLINE +NOWLES AND !BBAS .OKHASTEH FOR THEIR CURATORIAL SUPPORT SPONSORSHIP AND ORGANISATION OF THIS EXHIBITION AND RELATED EVENT 0HOTOGRAPHY AND 4HE 0RACTICE OF 7ALKING 'OLDSMITHS 5NIVERSITY OF ,ONDON RD *UNE 4HE EXHIBITION AND EVENT ARE SPONSORED BY /PENVIZOR WWW OPENVIZOR COM WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE #ENTRE FOR 5RBAN AND #OMMUNITY 2ESEARCH 'OLDSMITHS 5NIVERSITY OF ,ONDON WWW GOLD AC UK CUCR /PENVIZOR IS AN INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION AND ONLINE PLATFORM DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING AND SHOWCASING COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS AND DEVELOPMENT ACROSS BORDERS CULTURES AND DISCIPLINES CONNECTING AND CELEBRATING INDIVIDUALS COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD 4HIS EXHIBITION IS PART OF 5RBAN %NCOUNTERS 2OUTES AND 4RANSITIONS 4HE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME IS AVAILABLE AT WWW URBANENCOUNTERS ORG
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7RITING AND PHOTOGRAPHING kTHE URBANl DEMANDS COMPLICITY WITH THE VIEW THAT CITIES EXIST AS DISTINCT REALMS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENT WHILST KNOWING THAT THEY DO NOT THAT THEY ARE PLATFORMS FROM WHICH IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOG THE COMINGS AND GOINGS THAT ACCUMULATE TO THE DENSE NETWORKS OF EVERYDAY LIFE WE CALL CITIES 4HE CITY IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS !ND IF IN NOT BEING WHAT IT SEEMS IT WERE TO HAVE A CENTRE A SET OF DEüNING FEATURES p WHICH IT DOESNlT p THEN TWO IDEAS ABOVE ALL OTHERS ARTICULATE THE URBAN SURFACE AND MOBILITY 4HINK OF THESE IDEAS AS CONSTITUTIVE OF AN URBAN THAT ISNlT WHAT IT SEEMS 7HERE DOES THIS LEAVE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 3TREET PHOTOGRAPHY TANGLES MOST EFFECTIVELY WITH URBANISM WHEN IT ENGAGES WITH SURFACE AND MOBILITY IN PRACTICE AND AS A PRACTICE 5RBAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND URBAN LANDSCAPE ARE THUS CO CONSTITUTIVE AND IN THIS DYNAMIC ISSUES OF REPRESENTATION ARE SIDELINED BY CRUCIAL QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ASKED WITH THE LENS 7HAT IS A CITY (OW ARE CITIES PRODUCED 7HAT HUMAN AND ARCHITECTURAL FABRIC DO THEY ARTICULATE !ND THROUGH WHAT GRAMMAR OF IMAGES MIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY AS A SET OF PRACTICES AND ENGAGEMENTS PRODUCE CITIES 7HAT IS THIS URBAN SURFACE !ND HOW MIGHT URBAN PHOTOGRAPHY DIALOGUE WITH IT #ONCEPTUALLY THE URBAN SURFACE IS A PLANE OF ENGAGEMENT WHERE EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE KNOWN AND EXPERIENCED TAKES PLACE 4HERE ARE NO HIDDEN kREALITIESl OBSCURED BY DEPTH IN THIS CONCEPTION OF SURFACE "ECAUSE THE URBAN SURFACE IS WHERE EVERYTHING HAPPENS IT IS HERE THAT WE MIGHT USEFULLY AIM THE ANALYTIC PHOTOGRAPHIC LENS OF URBAN INVESTIGATION "UT THIS IS NOT A SMOOTH SURFACE OF URBAN kČOWl CONTRA 3OCIOLOGIES OF MOBILITIES )T IS A TEXTURED SURFACE NAVIGATED WITH EMBODIED SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE ACROSS WHICH WE STUMBLE AND FALTER NOT ČOW 4HIS URBAN SURFACE IS TEXTURED BY AND WITH HUMAN ACTIVITY AND OBJECTS OF MATERIAL CULTURE INCLUDING ARCHITECTURE 4HE URBAN SURFACE IS CREATED IN THE FABRIC OF SOCIAL LIFE COLLECTIVE EXISTENTIAL EVERYDAY LIFE TEXTURE NOT TEXT 5RBAN PHOTOGRAPHY OPERATES BOTH WITHIN AND APART FROM THIS SOCIALLY TEXTURED SURFACE "UT IT DOES NOT READILY REVEAL ITS CONSTITUTION ITS MODES OF OPERATION AND ITS SOCIAL MORPHOLOGY &LEETING ENCOUNTERS WITH THE CAMERA LENS ALONE WILL NOT EXPOSE THIS SURFACE "UT IN CONCERT WITH DEEPER RESEARCH AND ENGAGEMENT WITH URBAN THEORY THE LENS CAN DELIVER BETTER APPROXIMATIONS OF WHAT WE CAN NEVER REALLY KNOW +NOWLEDGE IS ALWAYS TENTATIVE AND PROVISIONAL #ITIES ARE ALWAYS DUPLICITOUS LAYERED REPOSITORIES OF MULTIPLE TRUTHS AND THEY SHARE THESE FEATURES WITH PHOTOGRAPHY 3O THE ISSUES BECOME HOW TO UNRAVEL SOME OF THIS DUPLICITY (OW
TO SEE BETTER WHAT IS HAPPENING OR HOW TO SEE THINGS THAT DO NOT EASILY GIVE THEMSELVES UP TO THE LENS
"ERLINlS SURFACE DISPLAYS ITlS LAYERED PAST )TS DIFüCULT TO RECONCILE RELATIONSHIP WITH .ATIONAL 3OCIALISMlS REGIMES OF EXTERMINATION THE #OLD 7ARlS WALL OPERATING A FAULT LINE BETWEEN FAMILIES POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND LIFESTYLES 4HE PAST LEAVES ITS IMPRINT ON A CITY THAT kREMEMBERS FORGETFULLYl "ITS OF THE WALL SERVE NEW MORE POSITIVE PURPOSES AND MARK NEW BOUNDARIES &ORMER FACTORIES AND COMMUNAL BATHHOUSES PROVIDE STUDIO AND EXHIBITION SPACE FOR ARTISTS 4HE ARCHITECTURAL FABRIC OF THE OLD AND THE AVANT GARDE AGITATE EACH OTHER AND THE NEW MODERN MONUMENTAL ARCHITECTURE THAT STRETCHES ALONG THE RIVER PROVIDING THE ADMINISTRATIVE POLITICAL CENTRE OF THE NEW ORDER 'RAND SPACES BUILT FOR IMAGINED SOCIALITIES HOST ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN STRANGERS AND THE WANDERINGS OF CITIZENS TOURISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS "UT THESE ARE SUPERüCIAL OBSERVATIONS 5NDERSTANDING HOW THESE SPACES ARE CONSTITUTED AND SUSTAINED THEIR OLD GHOSTS AND THEIR NEW PURPOSES AND HOW SMALL THINGS MAP ONTO BIGGER SCHEMES TAKES TIME DETAILED INVESTIGATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH URBAN THEORY -OVING FROM SURFACE TO MOBILITY IT IS EVIDENT THAT CITIES ARE INHERENTLY MOBILE WHICH IS TO SAY THAT THEY ARE CONSTITUTED IN HUMAN MOBILITY AS DE #ERTEAU SUGGESTS #ITIES ARE ALWAYS COMPOSED IN THE ROUTES PEOPLE CHART THROUGH THEM "UT THESE ARE MUTUAL ACTS OF CONSTITUTION 4HE CITY STREETS MAKE LIVES AND THEMSELVES IN THE CLATTER OF FOOTSTEPS JOURNEYS THAT ARE AS EXISTENTIAL AND IDIOSYNCRATIC AS THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT RESULT #ITIES ARE INDEED COMPOSED IN LARGE AND SMALL SCALE MOBILITIES AND THIS CONSTANT MOVEMENT IS THE MOST STRIKING FEATURE OF CITIES 5RBAN MOBILITY CHALLENGES THE FREEZE FRAME OF THE LENS THAT EXTRACTS AND DISPLAYS MOMENTS IN THE ČOW OF ACTIVITIES AND THINGS THAT MAKE UP URBAN LIFE 7HAT DOES THIS MAKING OF CITIES IN MOBILITY ENTAIL $ISSEMBLING MOBILITY WE CAN SEE THAT IT IS COMPOSED IN MULTIPLE *OURNEYS INVOLVING SPECIüC ITINERARIES CONNECTING PLACES ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS OR CONTINENTS 3CALE IS IMPORTANT BUT URBAN SCHOLARS HAVE BECOME TRANSüXED BY TRANSNATIONAL MOBILITY WHEN IN FACT SHORT JOURNEYS ARE AS SIGNIüCANT AS LONG ONES "ORROWING FROM )NGOLD WE CAN THINK OF A JOURNEY AS A CONTINUOUS ITINERARY A MATRIX OF MOVEMENT A KIND OF CARRYING ALONG A PATH #ONNECTING PLACES BRINGS THEM INTO A NETWORK OF COMING AND GOING SO JOURNEYS ARE THE VERY SOCIAL PRACTICES THAT CONNECT AND CONSTITUTE SPACE ! PLACE IS MADE IN THE TANGLE OF JOURNEYS CROSSING IT *OURNEYS CARRY PLANS INTENTION THAT IS NOT ALWAYS REALIZED 3O JOURNEYS ARE OPEN UNFOLDING POSSIBILITIES SOMETIMES MOVING IN NEW AND UNPREDICTABLE DIRECTIONS WITHIN THE STRUCTURES OF BIGGER JOURNEYS &OR URBAN AND TRANSNATIONAL MIGRANTS ROUTINE JOURNEYS ARE FRAMED BY LONGER JOURNEYS ANOTHER MATRIX OF CONNECTION
4HE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF JOURNEYS IS NAVIGATION .AVIGATION IS ORDINARY WAY üNDING IMPROVISED EXPLORATORY MOVEMENT .AVIGATION PRODUCES THE ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES THAT MAKE EVERYDAY AND IT IS INEVITABLY SOCIAL IT REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL KNOWING AS WE GO FROM PLACE TO PLACE .OT THAT WE ČOW ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THE WORLD BUT üND OUR WAY WITHIN IT &INDING OUR WAY TAKES KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL 3KILL IS COMPRESSED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORLD AND HOW TO LIVE IN IT 7HAT SKILL DOES IT TAKE TO LIVE A PARTICULAR LIFE (ERE IS FURTHER CONVERGENCE BETWEEN THE CONSTITUTION OF URBAN LIFE AND THE PRACTICES OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WHICH ALSO WORKS THROUGH MOBILE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CITY 5RBAN PHOTOGRAPHY NAVIGATES ROUTES OF URBAN EXPLORATION THROUGH CITIES CONSTITUTED IN THE SAME MOBILE PRACTICES ,IKE PLACES WE CAN THINK OF PEOPLE AS COMPOSED IN THE SUM OF THEIR JOURNEYS )N THIS FRAMEWORK WE ARE WHERE WE GO HOW WE GO AND WHO WE ENCOUNTER ON THE WAY *OURNEYS AND ENCOUNTERS CONSTITUTE SUBJECTIVITIES p WAYS OF BEING HUMAN IN THE WORLD AND THE SUBSTANCE OF LIVES 7E LIVE AS WE GO AND MAKE UP LIFE AS WE GO ALONG )F WE THINK ABOUT CITIES IN THESE TERMS THEN URBAN PHOTOGRAPHIC ENCOUNTER DEMANDS CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT AND IMAGINATIVE INTERPRETATION OF THE SURFACES ON WHICH HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE PLAYED OUT 3URFACES CONTAIN ALL THAT WE NEED TO KNOW OF SOCIAL SIGNIüCANCE BUT IN THEIR SOCIAL TEXTURE DOES NOT EASILY OFFER ITSELF TO THE EYE THE CAMERA OR THE ANALYTICAL LENS 4O KNOW BEYOND THE SUPERüCIAL WE NEED TO WAIT AND SEE 7E NEED TO WORK AT IT 7E NEED TO BE PREPARED TO ASK SEARCHING QUESTIONS AND LINGER WATCH WHO GOES WHERE AND WHY !TTEMPTED AND APPROXIMATE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS REVEAL FRAGMENTS OF SOCIAL MORPHOLOGY CLUES ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH THE URBAN SOCIAL WORLD IS ORGANIZED AND CONSEQUENTLY HOW IT WORKS AT A BIGGER SCALE THAN THE SPECIüC PRACTICES OF PHOTOGRAPHY CAN REVEAL
#AROLINE +NOWLES $IRECTOR #ENTRE FOR 5RBAN #OMMUNITY 2ESEARCH #5#2 0ROFESSOR OF 3OCIOLOGY 'OLDSMITHS 5NIVERSITY OF ,ONDON
.OTES 1. See Cosgrove and Daniels (1988) The Iconography of Landscape, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press for a lucid exploration of landscape as symbolic of hidden realities. A similar framing is found in Marxist work like John Berger’s. 2. See Sheller and Urry (2006) ‘The New Mobilities Paradigm’, Environment and Planning A vol.38(2) pp207-226 Notes 3-6 all draw on Tim Ingold’s (2000) excellent text, The Perception of the Environment: essays in livelihood, dwelling and skill, London: Routledge
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