A Future History of Spatial Photography

A lecture by Monica Bravo, Professor in the History of Photography at Princeton University Chair: Jakob Schnetz, Folkwang University of the Arts & KWI Essen – Institute for Advanced Study in the HumanitiesWhat if the future of photography is no longer just about two-dimensional images, but about space? In her lecture, Monica C. Bravo explores how tools like Apple’s Vision Pro and Spatial Photos on iPhones push photography toward »spatial computing«, blending 3D capture with augmented reality. While spatial photography has a long history, today it challenges photography’s traditional attachment to flat screens, promising new forms of tactility while often amplifying the gap between presence and absence.Follow this session to see how spatial photography intersects with debates on vision, embodiment, and image surfaces, from critiques of realism to postcolonial challenges to »depth« as a knowledge regime. Is spatial photography still finding its artistic and experiential grammar, while reminding us that, despite new dimensions, it remains photography at its core? Join the conversation and leave a comment to speculate with Monica and us.This session was recorded on February 4, 2026, on the occasion of the 3rd Essen Symposium for Photography »What Will Photography Be? An Invitation to Speculate«, hosted by the Essen Center for Photography.Photo Credit: Essen Center for Photography / Silviu Guiman