Magnum Photos' Olivia Arthur joins us in the MPF gallery for an artist talk around her latest photobook, Murmurings of the Skin, published by VOID, 2024. This event is part of our ongoing series sponsored by WEX Photo Video.
Murmurings of the Skin is a photographic exploration of the human connection to the body. The starting point for the work was Olivia's own pregnancy and the project developed to encompass series about physicality and sexuality, stability and robotics, touch, gesture and solitude. The photographs, made over eight years, range from intimate and sensual portraits alongside those of robots and people engaging with technology - challenging notions of what it means to be human.
The talk will be followed by questions from the audience and a book signing, where copies of Murmurings of the Skin will be available from MPF bookshop.
‘I’m fascinated with the idea of physicality and of trying to find a way to capture the energy running through people’s bodies, the feeling of skin touching skin. Though the work looks at technology and its achievements, ultimately it is about people, love, the power of the body and strength of the mind, and our never-ending need for physical closeness.’ - Olivia Arthur
Olivia began the work in response to her first pregnancy and the feeling that her body had suddenly become public property - concurrent with a developing fascination with its innate machine-like ability to form a child. This transformation established an interest and curiosity in exploring more broadly our relationship to our bodies - what it means to feel comfortable in one’s own skin, about the importance of touch and intimacy, and what we are able to do to replicate bodies with technology.
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