Announcing ‘Archives in Focus‘: A Unique Exploration of Photography and History

Archives in Focus—an international gathering dedicated to photography and visual culture, co-organized by the Myanmar Photo Archive and the Goethe-Institut Myanmar with local and international partners.

‘Archives in Focus’ marks the culmination of a two-year collaboration between Myanmar Photo Archive and Goethe-Institut Myanmar, focused on the diverse, community driven and participatory reinterpretation of the archive’s visual materials. This collaborative effort concludes in a three-week international program / series of events, showcasing the results of the past two years of their joint work.

This unique event will take place from November 15th to December 22nd, spanning over two locations: Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Yangon, Myanmar.

Archives in Focus will showcase compelling narratives from Myanmar and beyond, offering profound insights into how lives have been documented and portrayed by both professional and amateur photographers in the 19th and 20th centuries. The program will feature a diverse array of stories, from colonial-era photographs to contemporary explorations of identity, culture, and displacement. In a time marked by increasing global and local divisions regarding societal governance and structure, the event invites us to rethink and reinterpret our past and present. Through a series of exhibitions, workshops, and talks, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with artists, curators, and collectives as they offer fresh perspectives on history and personal experiences.