How Photography Shapes Our Understanding of the World
On Wednesday 14 May, 2025 the Rijksmuseum presents a one-day international symposium exploring the impact of photojournalism and documentary photography on our perceptions of the world.
For nearly two centuries, photojournalists and documentary photographers have played a vital role in documenting the world we live in. Their work is showcased in photobooks, on digital platforms, across media outlets, and within museum exhibitions. These powerful images and narratives, safeguarded in archives and collections, are shaping how we perceive our present, understand our past and influence how we view the future.
Scope
This symposium brings together photographers, academics, and representatives from art and media institutions to explore their collective contributions and responsibilities in shaping the public perception. Drawing from visual culture and art history, visual conventions—such as the recurring depiction of crying women and children to evoke empathy and symbolize innocence—serve as powerful tools to communicate complex narratives. While rooted in both historical and contemporary photographic practices, these visual languages prompt a crucial question: how universal is this visual culture we have created? Join us as we delve into the evolving role of visual culture.
The symposium is a one-day programme featuring lectures and discussions, which have been divided into three sessions.
During the first session, we will examine how visual traditions,
conventions, and tropes shape our perception of the present, past,
and future.
The second session explores current practices and responsibilities of
photographers and curators, and how they currently provide context
for their audience.
The third session will center on the future, examining how photographers and institutions perceive the evolving role of photography. We close these sessions with a dialogue between the audience and the speakers.
The symposium is made possible by the Vincent Mentzel Fund, a Rijksmuseum Fund dedicated to the history of photojournalism with a focus on The Netherlands. This symposium is a collaboration with World Press Photo Foundation.
Speakers
Lebohang Kganye - Visual artist and photographer (South-Africa)
Wieteke van Zeil - Cultural journalist and writer (The Netherlands)
Tanvi Mishra - (Photo) editor, curator, and author (India)
Cristina de Middel - Documentary photographer (Spain/Brazil)
Iris Sikking - Curator of the Fotomuseum Den Haag (The Netherlands)
Kadir van Lohuizen - Photojournalist and visual storyteller (The Netherlands)
Tina Farifteh - Photographer and filmmaker (Iran/The Netherlands)
Joumana El Zein Khoury – Director of World Press Photo foundation (Lebanon/The Netherlands)
And others to be announced later.
Photograph of the earth as seen from the moon, taken by the unmanned spacecraft Lunar Orbiter 1, 1966, NASA, AP. From the collection of the Rijksmuseum. RP-F-2017-40
