On April 3, I presented the Pan America 1954 project in an ICP PhotoSLAM at ICP, the International Center of Photography.
A PhotoSLAM is a format created by ICP faculty member Idris Soloman. It is a mix between The Moth radio hour and a poetry slam, with photography. Five or six photographers apply to present their project. Each is given exactly five minutes to tell a story, punctuated by images presented behind them. After presenting, the audience divides into groups to discuss the presentations and vote on a scale of 1 – 10. The winner receives an bag of ICP merchandise and a year membership.
It was amazing to participate in this event. First, to find a strong narrative that runs through the project, and meets the theme of “Into the Archive”, was a lot of fun. Having watched one before, I knew the idea wasn’t a slideshow, but instead a narrative. I decided to focus on the idea of “motivation.” What motivates a person to start a project, when they commit and how they carry on through it to glory or dispair.
Leave a Reply