Looking Through a Circle in a Circle of Looks

Welcome to Looking Through a Circle in a Circle of Looks, an exhibition that invites you to rethink how we see the world—and each other—through the lens of a camera. For decades, traditional ethnographic films have shaped our understanding of different cultures, often through a narrow perspective. This exhibition brings together artists who are challenging those old traditions, questioning the ways images are made and how they influence our ideas of 'the other.'

The featured works take a fresh approach to filmmaking. Some artists deconstruct traditional methods or experiment with new technologies, while others turn the camera around to focus on self-representation, telling their own stories in their own voices. Together, they explore how the moving image can be a tool for both reflection and discovery.

This project finds its inspiration in the legacy of filmmaker Maya Deren (1917–1961). During her time in Haiti, Deren became so deeply immersed in the world of Vodou that she made a radical choice: she decided not to edit the footage she shot. By leaving her work in its raw form, she challenged the standard rules of cinema—a spirit of authenticity and inquiry that continues through the contemporary artists featured in this show.