Living a Photographic Way of Life in a Mediating Body

A lecture by Helen Westgeest, Senior University Lecturer at Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society. Chair: Vera Knippschild, Folkwang University of the ArtsWhat if the future of photography lies not just in capturing the past, but in shaping the way we see the world? In her lecture, Helen Westgeest explores a »photographic way of life«, where perception is increasingly mediated through screens and cameras rather than direct observation. Drawing on Claire Bishop’s concept of »disordered attention«, she considers whether smartphone distraction can also be a relational form of seeing. She then investigates the »mediating body« where eyes and mind archive, interpret, and manipulate images, raising questions about memory, perception, and potential privacy risks in future technologies.Follow the session to explore how Helen Westgeest situates photography in the evolution of vision, comparing human and animal eyes, and asks whether future images must even remain visual. Is photography still what we think in a world full of sensors and screens? Join the conversation and leave a comment to speculate with Helen 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