Magnum & World Press Photo's Square Print Sale Returns With Over 100 Influential Images
“Written by Light” explores the meaning of photography amidst the rise of artificial intelligence.
What’s the meaning of photography amidst the rapid rise of text-to-image generators? Magnum Photos and World Press Photo Foundation are exploring this contemporary conundrum in their upcoming Square Print Sale, “Written by Light.” With a cohort of over 75 Magnum and 30 World Press Photo-awarded photographers, and across 100 images, the showcase delves deep into the concept of craft in the age of artificial intelligence.
Described as a “celebration of photography,” the sale opens up a conversation between images and image-makers on the quintessential differences between computer-generated art and photography–i.e., the use of light. Cristina de Middel, Magnum president, explained: “Through this curation, we want to pay tribute and celebrate what really makes our photographs different from an artificially-generated image. As photographers, we were all, at some point, seduced by light and the possibilities of capturing it in our own unique way.”
This poetic observation of luminescence is felt deep across the lineup, such as Alessandra Sanguinetti’s work, “The Models,” which sees Argentinian protagonists Guille and Belinda illuminated by the rays of light as they pose in front of a white wall with a bouquet of fresh flowers.
Included in the roster are previous winners of the annual photojournalism and documentary photography competition, World Press Photo Contest, including the winner of the 2023 Contest for the Africa region, M’hammed Kilito and Palestinian photographer Fatima Shbair, winner of the 2022 edition.
The Magnum & World Press Photo’s Square Print Sale, “Written by Light,” will take place from October 16 to 22. Each image will be available to purchase as a limited-edition 6×6” print throughout the online sale. Take a look at some of the featured work in the gallery above.
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