Book launch: The Complicit Camera by Pieter van der Houwen

Please join us for the festive launch of the UNESCO Chair on Refugee Integration through Education, Language, and Arts (RIELA) Affiliate Artist Pieter van der Houwen's new book .

PROGRAMME
4:30-4:45 drinks and welcome
4:45-5:15 book presentation by Pieter van der Houwen
5:15-5:45 Q&A with the author
5:45-6:00 mingling and drinks

This beautifully illustrated publication offers the reader a unique insight into the mechanisms of the media industry. Focusing on thirty-three of his own photographs, Pieter van der Houwen provides us with a personal account of how his “African” images were often framed to fit an existing European narrative. He is brutally honest about his own culpability; however, he cannot stress enough that this book should not be regarded as an apology. The Complicit Camera should be seen as a personal reflection on his work and how it interacted with the media industry. Pieter van der Houwen does not denounce the social relevance of photography. He does, however, question the impact that photography has on our perception and understanding of the African continent.

The Complicit Camera is a ZAM MAGAZINE publication

Pieter van der Houwen graduated from the University of Glasgow with an M.Sc. His research focused on the depiction of Africa in Western media. Tawona Sitholé of UNESCO RIELA will lead a discussion about representation with the author.

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Host or Publisher Unesco Chair In Refugee Integration Through Languages and the Arts