2023 marks 35 years since Autograph began working as a radical organisation within the visual arts. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights, and social justice. This year's Open Call is part of our year-long celebrations, and over the course of the year we will be sharing three Open Call opportunities in total. Each open call will focus on a different theme.
The first major exhibition curated and organised by Autograph in 1990 was Autoportraits, a seminal exhibition exploring the politics of identity and representation through self-portraiture. Autograph was forged by artists to create a space for marginalised voices to be seen and heard. The power of the autoportrait continues to be a tool of interrogation into the intricacies of self-expression and the notion of difference in contemporary society. The exhibition featured new work by artists Monika Baker, Allan deSouza, Joy Gregory, Sunil Gupta, Lyle Ashton Harris, Mumtaz Karimjee and Roshini Kempadoo.
Our first Open Call of this anniversary year takes inspiration from the Autoportraits exhibition, inviting submissions that draw on the theme of identity and self-representation.
Image on page from the series Autoportrait, by Joy Gregory, 1989/1990, commissioned by Autograph.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.