Workshop CREATIVE STRATEGIES: Photographic Poetics of the Ordinary and Extraordinary by Dr. Shoufay Derz

Through the key themes of imagination, transformation, impermanence, opacity and relationship, this workshop will consider photography as a poetic, experimental method. Our activities will explore technical skills as well as conceptual and philosophical questions of the themes.

We will engage in a series of individual and collaborative short exercises that explore the potential of improvisation and play to create unexpected photographic poems/stories. Activities will be conducted within set parameters and under supervision and guidance.

We can approach photography like drawing, as it is not just a process of observation or capture, but also a relationship of translation and imagination. The aim is to break our habitual ways of seeing (or not seeing) by introducing playful exercises into our practice routines.

Technically, we will explore conventional photographic compositional strategies such as color, tone, form and pattern. However, special attention will be given to provisional and experimental tactics for creating images with quotidian or commonplace materials to learn to make the most of the overlooked and unseen. The activities are experimental and playful, as we approach them without a specific outcome in mind, instead focusing on the process and not knowing where things will lead.

We will consider historical and contemporary artists who approach the themes both materially and conceptually in their practice. The artists we will focus on are not limited to photography, as we will also explore how examples of other media and texts on these themes can be developed into ideas for the photographic medium. How, for example, can the theme of opacity in a painting be transferred to a photograph?

There will be an opportunity to ask the instructor about specific techniques you would like to achieve and also time to share the results of the exercises with the group. No previous knowledge of photography or image making is required, but participants with more experience are also welcome.

The workshop instructor will demonstrate using their own camera and the participants will bring their own camera, be it an SLR camera, a camera or a smartphone.

Duration: Dates will be published soon

Hours: Each day from 10 AM – 12:30 PM

Seats: Max. 20 | Language: English

Fees: The participation fee is €90 per person including material (without accommodation).

The fee is VAT-exempt by the Governing Mayor of Berlin – Senate Chancellery Higher Education and Research pursuant to Paragraph 4 No. (21) (a)(bb) UStG (German Value Added Tax Act).

While participants will pay attention to the fundamentals of photography including light, temporality and composition we will also consider how can we transform the poetics of the ordinary through image-making. Or rather, how can art approach that which resists the predetermined, the complete or the decided? Participants will create images quickly and intuitively over the course of two days, giving them a practical foundation to incorporate this skill into their artistic practice.

• Develop improvisation skills to capture your arts practice in situ without the need for a professional studio.
• Capture Photographic images
• Apply Photo imaging lighting techniques
• Position models and props as required
• Collaborate with others
• Experiment with different ways of achieving desired results
• Evaluate outcome for visual impact and effectiveness.
• Review images and discuss

Day 1

10 am – 10.15 am
The workshop begins with a short presentation of examples dealing with the workshop themes of imagination, transformation, transience, opacity and relationship.

10:15 am – 12 pm
Exercise 1: Shoufay will present the first exercise: A play with the genre of Still Life.
Under supervision and guidance, participants will create a temporary small setting within set parameters to explore form and lighting. We will have the opportunity to expand our imagination by thinking about the transformation of ordinary objects into the Photographic plane. Here we will focus on lighting, shadow and form.

Exercise 2: Participants will work with a ‘lucky bag’ of materials to spontaneously use as props to construct an image. Examples will be given for inspiration, but participants will also have the opportunity to create imagery as it suits their imagination. The thematic focus is on impermanence and transformation. Here we will focus on framing and composition.

12:00 noon – 12:30 pm
At the end of the first day, there will be a group discussion to review the exercises. We will upload and collect the digital images for review. This will provide an opportunity for participants to share their thoughts and insights, and to receive feedback on their work. After the discussion, there will be a general tidy up to ensure that the workspace is organised and ready for the next day’s activities.

Day 2

10:00 am – 10.15 am
We will discuss the possibilities and risks of improvisation and “collaborative” image-making with a focus on the themes of opacity and relationships. Shoufay will share some of the creative strategies from current and past projects and those of other artists.

10:15 am – 12 pm
Today, we’re delving into experimental methods to challenge and reimagine the norms of ‘portraiture.’ Our focus is on exploring the possibilities of transforming “bodies” into expressions of relational poetry through a process of trial and error, shared imagination, and unlearning. Suitable for indoor and outdoor settings, however, if the weather cooperates, we’ll extend our exploration outdoors into the industrial environment. Given the improvisational and experimental nature of our event, we’ll creatively adapt while also being aware of and considerate toward our surroundings, being mindful of the potential risks involved in photography and practicing non-extractive approaches.

12:00 noon – 12:30 pm
Upload and share images. At the end of the second day, there will be a group discussion to review the work created during the workshop. This will give participants the opportunity to share their thoughts and insights and receive feedback on their work. If time permits, we will look at whether and how post-processing is possible.

Shoufay Derz, an Australian-born artist, researcher, teacher and curator of Taiwanese and German heritage, has worked in Berlin since 2019. As of 2022, she serves as the Co-director at The Institute of Endotic Research, focusing on exploring relational and community practices within and beyond the visual arts realm. In 2023, Derz was awarded her PhD, centred on her research titled ‘Towards the Unknown: The Visual Poetics of the Ineffable.’

Her research delves into the limits and possibilities of language and visual expression, particularly within diasporic contexts, engaging in conversations about belonging and alienation. Her artistic endeavours involve proposing rituals and alternate archives at the thresholds of world(s) beginnings and ends, inviting collective imagination to explore unknown possibilities. Her recent work playfully incorporates improvisational tactics and humour to convey the ephemeral and transformative facets, possibilities, limitations, and risks of site-specific storytelling. Spanning diverse mediums such as moving images, textiles, sculpture, photography, performance, and text, her interdisciplinary practice aims to link language silences with voids present in social, structural, and geological landscapes, contemplating temporal wounds and the uncertainties of future terrains.

Select exhibitions include The Outside Art Project at London’s King’s Cross curated by the Photographers Gallery, the Pingyao International Photography Festival, the Auckland Festival of Photography, and Dark Heart, Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. Noteworthy residencies include Künstlerhaus Bethanien awarded by Creative Australia from 2019 to 2020 and a visiting artist position at The New School – Parsons, NYC, in 2017. Derz has received accolades such as the 52nd Blake Prize for Religious Art early in her career.

More information on the Shoufay Derz & The Institute of Endotic Research Websites.