The MAP6 Collective are very excited to embark on our next project at the start of June 2023. We will be exploring the landscape of the Veneto Valley, a region in Italy centred around its capital of Venice. This is the first project where the MAP6 Collective have worked within a specific region of a country. We will also be working with project partners Urbanautica and Lab27, more news coming very soon…
Richard Chivers Exhibition
Richard Chivers: OFF-Grid
Gareth Gardner Gallery
Enclave 10, 50 Resolution Way
London SE8 4AL
16 June–02 July. Please check nearer the time and on social media for opening times.
Soundtrack to the exhibition by DJ/Mucic maker Solomon Onyemere.
PRIVATE VIEW 15 JUNE 2023, 6PM–9PM. RSVP HERE.
Part of London Festival of Architecture 2023.
Since the Victorian era, circular gas holders became commonplace industrial icons on our urban skylines. The design of vast telescoping tanks to store coal (town) gas was at the vanguard of civil engineering. They represented a modernising Britain, and for three decades after World War II were visible icons of our nationalised utilities, metal symbols for a vital infrastructure held in common for the public good.
In 1965, North Sea natural gas was discovered. The UK supply network was converted from coal gas, and gas holders were only required for additional storage. As network capacity grew, gas holder utilisation dwindled.
By the 1990s they were redundant; widespread dismantling of the metal giants began in 2000.
MAP6 photographer Richard Chivers has spent eight years capturing these iconic structures before they disappear.
Many have distinctive and intricate designs, each slightly different. Although defunct, those remaining continue to act as prominent landmarks, provoking a debate about their preservation and reuse. They are a reminder of our industrial heritage, a communal architectural experience that provokes awe in a way that few other structures inspire.
New Publication and Book Launch
MAP6 are delighted to share our new publication WALES: The Landscape Project. The work explores different aspects of the Welsh landscape, where nine photographers collaborated as pairs, plus one set of three, making images and joint editorial decisions together. The results are four succinct, photographic responses in zine form inspired by the distinctive landscape and character of Wales. The publication packages all four 40 pp zines within a belly band, with an accompanying text card. For this publication we had the opportunity to work with Iain Sarjeant from Another Place Press. We commissioned Iain to bring his unique vision and expertise to further help sequence and layout the zines, adding another form of collaboration to the project. The publication is a limited edition of 50, and we are already down to our last few, so thank you to everyone who has already purchased a copy.
We launched the publication on Saturday 22/4 at The Photobook Cafe in Shoreditch, London. It was a fun evening in a packed venue, thanks to everyone that came along. Thanks also to Dilly Thain, Specialist Sales Assistant at The Photographers' Gallery bookshop responsible for the zine/small press section, for chairing a conversation about the work and benefits of zine making over traditional photobook publishing. Another thanks to Matt Martin and the guys at TPC for being brilliant hosts and putting on the event. If you get a chance and your in London, why not pop in to The Photobook cafe, its a fab place with a wonderful selection of Photobooks. You can also see WALES: The Landscape Project on display.
Guest Feature - Ralph Steinegger
In the early morning light, lone figures are standing along rivers and canals, under bridges and highways, dwarfed by rows of residential towers and construction sites. In the midst of a built environment meant to liberate men from the constraints of nature, they cast their rods in silence. Standing still, as to be almost indiscernible, they seem oblivious of their surroundings and solely remain focused on the small stretch of water in front of them. We see them in the most unexpected places, finding personal space against the odds, and quietly waiting for their line to tighten.
Ralph Steinegger (b. 1976) has lived in Beijing, New York, Istanbul, Singapore and now Shanghai. He is using his analogue cameras to document mostly cities and show their contradictions, hidden sides, and poetry.
The Photographers Gallery Takeover
Last weekend MAP6 were delighted to take over The Photographers Gallery Instagram feed. You can check out the new work we shared, and we’d be delighted to hear your comments and feedback.Visit the TPG IG feed here
Guest Feature - Gleb Simonov
What do we do if a theory of landscape necessitates a theory of everything? Accumulating data breeds new specialties, but adds to the fragmentation — while one's relationship with the land is inherently personal. Landscape is something walked — a sense of intimacy mixed up with logistics. In the end, what we carry out is perhaps gratitude, and a sense of non-human.
This, Promised was shot in the Norwegian arctic over a period of complete seasonal change from the end of the polar day to the beginning of polar night. It focuses on places along the edges of structured land — roads, farms, national borders, the local fishing and mining industry, archeological sites and natural preserves — and covers the municipalities of Sør-Varanger, Vadsø, Vardø, Nesseby and Båtsfjord.
Gleb Simonov is a poet and photographer, born in Russia in 1986 and currently based in New York. He is a winner of Urbanautica Award for 2021, his work has been featured in “Observations in the Ordinary” collection by Subjectively Objective, and several photography magazines, such as Float, PHROOM, Phases, Analog magazine and others.
MAP6 at The Photobook Cafe
The MAP6 Collective will be presenting our latest project and publication WALES: The Landscape Project on Saturday 22 April at the Photobookcafe. We will explore the process of collaboration and experimenting as a photographic collective, and what this brings to the creative process in the form of a new publication. There will be a short introductory talk and then a conversation with Dilly Thain, Specialist Sales Assistant at The Photographers' Gallery. The evening runs from 6-9pm and the talk will start at 7pm. There will be a slideshow of the work, with plenty of time for discussion and socialising throughout the evening. Copies of our new publication and previous books will be available to purchase. Please come and support us!
WALES: The Landscape Project explores different aspects of the Welsh landscape: 9 photographers worked as pairs, plus one set of three, making images and joint editorial decisions together. Each group responded experimentally and personally to their chosen theme which involved making images in the same location or coming together at the end to create a joint narrative through editing and sequencing. The results are four succinct, photographic responses inspired by the distinctive landscape and character of Wales.
You can reserve a free ticket for the event here and find out more about the Photobookcafe here
FORMAT Photobook Exhibition
MAP6 are delighted to have our book Finland: The Happiness Project on show as part of Format Festival’s Photobook Exhibition. The Photobook Market and Photobook Exhibition are a part of FORMAT23 and will take place in Derby during the festival’s opening weekend.
Alongside the FORMAT Photobook Market, which will include a space for selling/buying, presenting and signing books, there is the FORMAT Photobook Exhibition which aims to show the development of the photobook and its challenges and opportunities in this digital age. Various books, including independent and commercial, handmade as well as self-published, will be displayed in a ‘reading room’ space for the duration of the festival.
The three-day event, will take place between Friday 16 and Sunday 19 March at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery. You can find out more on the Format Festival website here.
Aaron Yeandle Selected for POH
MAP6 photographer Aaron Yeandle is selected as a Portrait of Humanity winner!
Now in its fifth edition, the Portrait of Humanity award by 1854 and the British Journal of Photography returns once more to celebrate that which unites us in a time of division.
With the importance of our shared sense of humanity seemingly never more crucial than now. The fifth edition of the British Journal of Photography, Portrait of Humanity, features 200 portraits from international photographers, selected from thousands of entries. Provides a window into the lives of their subjects and celebrates the shared humanity that connects us all. This is the backdrop for the fifth edition of Portrait of Humanity, with photographers capturing the faces of this changing world. Volume 5 brings together portraits from artists from around the world, published in a book by Hoxton Mini Press and The British Journal of Photography.
The portrait and the PPE-19 project were produced in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. At this time images of medical staff in hazmat suits inundated the media, making many of us feel anxious and frightened. This situation sparked a global Personal Protective Equipment mask shortage, due to a need by health services and people outside of the medical profession. Humans have been wearing masks for a millennium, they are truly ingrained in our primal psyche and are deeply rooted in folklore and our contemporary culture. During the Bubonic plague epidemic that swept through Europe. Plague Doctors who treated the infected wore Personal Protective Equipment to protect them from infections. This menacing suit typically consisted of animal-like masks. The PPE-19 project delves into the past and the present of PPE, from bubonic plague costumes to modern-day hazmat masks. The portrait was produced in the limitations of my apartment during the pandemic lockdown.
You can find out more about the Portrait of Humanity here
Guest Feature - Pau Poveda
I spent last summer in West Virginia. This is a project to try to manifest what I discovered in this rural state. I was trying to find a different idea about the USA, and open my mind to it with photographs, capturing the atmosphere that you feel in this magical land.
Now 21, Pau Poveda has been taking photographs since he was 15. At the age of 17 he bought his first reflex and he started to discover, what he calls the world behind the world. He has kept photographing and started to travel to discover more of this hidden world.
Leia Ankers Selected for IPE & POB
Leia Ankers image ‘Cordelia’ has been shortlisted for the Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition 164!. You can read more about the award here.
Furthermore, Leia has also been selected to have her Portrait of ‘Michelle’ shortlisted for this year’s Portrait of Britain award by The British Journal of Photography. Her portrait will be featured in the Portrait of Britain Vol.5 Book which is published by Hoxton Mini Press. You can read more here.
Heather Shuker POB Winner
MAP6 Photographer Heather Shuker is selected as a Portrait of Britain winner!
Heather Shuker - Owensfield, the Gower Peninsula
These identical twins live in a small off-grid community near Swansea. They feel the need to be together in their self-sufficient universe, and describe their ramshackle house in the woods as ‘heartwarming and spiritual’.
“Portrait of Britain returns this year with images that define contemporary life in Britain. Alongside the many events that have shaped 2022 – the outbreak of war, record-high inflation, soaring temperatures, and the death of the Queen, to name a few.
This year’s winners provide a snapshot of a frenzied year through 99 compelling portraits. Designed to illustrate the diversity of life in modern Britain, the award invites us to reflect on the multiplicity of voices and stories across the country, forming a precious historical record of British life.
The winning portraits, selected by a panel of industry-leading judges, are now part of the UK’s biggest annual photography exhibition — a month-long digital screen display in partnership with JCDecaux. The winners of the award will also be featured in a hardback book featuring 200 shortlisted images, published by Hoxton Mini Press.”
You can read more about Portrait of Britain here
MAP6 featured in Loupe Magazine
MAP6 photographer Paul Walsh was recently interviewed by the guys at Loupe Magazine, where he discussed his own photographic practice as well as MAP6’s Finland: The Happiness Project. The article was made in relation to the theme of sustainability which you can check out here.
Aaron Yeandle at Head on Festival
This year, Head on Photo Festival returned throughout November and early December with an extensive program of online and outdoor exhibitions located across Sydney, Australia. MAP6 photographer Aaron Yeandle exhibited his series PPE on Bondi beech and gave a live artist talk as part of the festival line up. You can find out more about Aarons work and the festival below.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, images of medical staff in hazmat suits inundated the media, making many of us feel anxious and scared. Increased demand for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment such as facemasks) sparked a global shortage.
PPE-19, produced in Aaron’s apartment during the first COVID-19 lockdown, depicts figures wearing hazmat suits that reflect how deeply masks are ingrained into our primal psyche.
The project also references the menacing suits and animal-like masks filled with dried flowers and laudanum to ward off infection that doctors wore during the Bubonic Plague.
Guest Feature - Rich-Joseph Facun
In his second monograph, Little Cities, Rich-Joseph Facun guides viewers on a meandering meditation through Southeastern Ohio by depicting the vernacular post-industrial landscape. In their quiet formality, the images call to mind past dreams, present disillusionment, and gently nudge us to look beyond what can be seen on the surface. Through recurring motifs, Facun excavates remaining signs of the Indigenous communities who once called this region home. In mankind’s hubris, we want to believe we shape the land we live on. Facun’s photographs remind us that the landscape contains memory, and it is witness to our misdeeds.
Rich-Joseph Facun is a photographer of Indigenous Mexican and Filipino descent. His work aims to offer an authentic look into endangered, bygone, and fringe cultures—those transitions in time where places fade but people persist. The exploration of place, community and cultural identity present themselves as a common denominator in both his life and photographic endeavors. Facun creates commissions for various publications, including NPR, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, ProPublica, Vox, Adweek, Education Week, The FADER, Frank 151, Topic, The National (UAE), Telerama (France), The Globe and Mail (Canada) and Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), among others. Additionally, Facun’s work has been recognized by or featured in Photolucida’s Critical Mass, CNN, British Journal of Photography, The Washington Post, Feature Shoot, The Image Deconstructed, The Photo Brigade, Looking at Appalachia, and Pictures of the Year International.
His first monograph, Black Diamonds, was published by Fall Line Press in 2021. Hi second monograph, Little Cities, was published by Little Oak Press in 2022 and is available here.
MAP6 edition prints now available
Coinciding with our forthcoming publication Wales: The Landscape Project, the MAP6 collective are pleased to offer a selection of limited editioned prints. The new project explores different aspects of the Welsh landscape, where nine photographers worked closely together making images and joint editorial decisions. Themes within the collective project include, the Welsh quarry landscape and surrounding chapels, a small off-grid community, a journey into some of Wales deepest caves, a North Wales hospital and asylum, a response to the myth of the white lady, and a walk across an ancient and largely forgotten pilgrimage trail. More news about the project and publication launch will be coming soon…
With every print you purchase you are supporting our photographic endeavours by helping to fund coming projects, exhibitions and publications. Thank you for your support. You can visit our print shop here.
Rich Cutler Exhibition
MAP6 photographer Rich Cutler is exhibiting part of his project The Hole-bourne, which explores London's lost river Fleet. The exhibition is held in the belfry of St John on Bethnal Green from this Friday 11 November until 26 November. There will be a late night showing, talks and drinks on Friday 11 from 6.30 pm till late - just turn up.
ABOUT THE FLEET
There were once three great brooks, rising from the Hampstead and Highgate hills, that passed through London on their way to the Thames, namely the ‘Hole-bourne’, the ‘Ty-bourne’ and the ‘West-bourne’. It is the first of these that will occupy our attention. I use its most ancient name, as is given in old records, and which well described its physical character. It was always, throughout its course, the brook or ‘bourne’ in the ‘hole’ or hollow. But it had other names: some spoke of it as the ‘River of Wells’, and this also was a very appropriate appellation. The ‘River Fleet’ is that by which it was best known. However, the term ‘fleet’ can only be properly applied where it was influenced by the tidal flow of the Thames. Turnmill Brook is another name: this also was local in its use.
No better gift could have been conferred upon a city than a supply of pure water in abundance, as was here given by Nature’s hand, yet never was such a gift so abused. In defiance, it became, in our hands, black with filth, and pregnant with disease. We endured it as a nuisance for six centuries, in the heart of London. Now the whole noisome brook is drained off into Bazalgette’s sewers.
I ask you to follow me as I trace the meanders of this lost stream. But it would be a dry record were I merely to point out its course through the miles of houses that now obliterate it.
Adapted from an essay by the Victorian antiquary John Green Walle
MAP6 in Le Monde Diplomatique
MAP6 are delighted to have had a number of images from our Shetland Project recently published in the French newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique. The article looks at the politics of Shetland, particularly in relation to Scottish National Party (SNP). The article ran in print and online in a number of languages.
Guest Feature - Laszló Gabor Belicza
The Sky Above Kóspallag is about a small village in the Börzsöny mountains, it is documentary in nature, but is based on subjective experiences. What I experience here has a special power, the landscape creates order and people adapt to it in the hope of a more sustainable future. Although I have similar experiences in my family, farming, gardening and animal husbandry play an important role, where the bond between nature and man is really close. Maybe it’s just because I can see all of this from the outside, so it is often a precarious process, because I am an outsider.
The fact that I am taking photographs of people, landscapes, and still life is less pronounced. I’m more and more embedded here, community and individual destinies are forming in front of my eyes and I want to be part of that. I don’t know what came first, that it would be good to live here, or that what is here should be immortalised. Obviously, the eye that sees more, more intimately, is the privilege of the locals, but that is not my task for the moment; I infuse the land, the house, the landscape, the rural tranquillity with my own emotions. In this, the trust of the people of Kóspallag helps me a lot.
László Gábor Belicza (1991) graduated from the University of Kaposvár in 2016. His first photo essay (Whole, 2012-2016) was selected in 2016 as one of the ten most outstanding photo projects of the year by FotoRoom. He is not specifically an exhibiting artist, he is more interested in creating photo books. His works can be found in the Rippl-Rónai Museum, the Kunsthalle, the Herman Ottó Museum, and the Petőfi Literary Museum. His works are deep and empathetic, exploring, in particular, the extreme layers of social spheres. Diary-like photographic essays and narratives combined with subjective impressions are the most characteristic attributes of his thinking about photography.
Richard Chivers - New Publication
MAP6 photographer Richard Chivers has been working with Another Place Press to publish his series Passing Time. The project is part of the ‘Field Notes’ collection of zines, which is now available to pre-order for just £8. There are a only a limited number of copies, which are already selling fast. You can pre-order a copy here.
32 pp / 190 x 230mm
Staple Bound
Fedrigoni paper
First edition of 100
FN053
In his book the Architecture of Happiness Alain de Botton suggests “One of the great but often unmentioned causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kinds of walls, chairs, buildings, and streets that surround us.”
The photographs in this project seek to question and re-evaluate urban spaces and architecture and the psychology of these places on the individuals that inhabit them. Made more pertinent when viewed in a context of a global pandemic like Covid 19.
The work was made during 2020/2021, taking walks from my home in Brighton across the city. I would often take the same routes and explore the same spaces to try and get a better understanding of them.
Contemplating the psychological effect of quiet urban spaces on the individuals that encounter them, and how the city can shape the way that we feel. Looking at the fabric of the place to try and reveal meaning, through history, memory, and a shared unconscious.
In memory of a dear friend Richard Peters.