NEW YORK, NY.- On March 20, the International Center of Photography announced an open call for imagemakers around the world to post and tag imagery of their experiences as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. The hashtag #ICPConcerned was named in recognition of ICP’s founding principle to champion “concerned photography”—socially and politically minded images that can educate and change the world.

Then, on May 25, George Floyd, a Black man, was killed in Minneapolis by a white police officer and millions came out of isolation to gather in anger and defiance of centuries of systemic racism and white supremacy. Thousands of #ICPConcerned images of the demonstrations were shared.

Photojournalism and documentary pictures sit with staged and more metaphorical photographs. Amateur smartphone pictures are being uploaded alongside the work of professional imagemakers from around the world. A whole range of emotions are present: anger, despair, loss, confusion, frustration, boredom, loneliness, strength, and resolve.

Now, ICP has initiated an evolving exhibition, #ICPConcerned: Global Images for Global Crisis. One thousand images are being chosen by a wide range of ICP staff—curators, administrators, and educators. No one can visit yet, as ICP remains closed to the public due to the pandemic, but the process and the installation are being documented and shown online, taking the images back to the worldwide audience that made them. Eventually, the returning public will be able to come see a visual account of this tumultuous era.




Visit icp.org to view photographs and installation videos and images.

On View
In June 2020, ICP initiated the show in its largest gallery space. The exhibition was announced to the public on August 11, 2020. It is the intention that when ICP is able to reopen its space, which is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show will continue to be on view, growing and evolving with submissions to #ICPConcerned.

While ICP is closed, the physical exhibition remains inaccessible to the public. During this time, we are reporting on the process and installation on icp.org and @ICP on Instagram. We are also hosting a series of virtual curator’s tours and other related public programs. When ICP reopens, we hope all who are able will visit the museum and explore the images and stories there.

Components
1000 images, printed on 17 x 22” paper and hung chronologically in a grid. Each image is accompanied by a caption that includes photographer’s name, Instagram handle, caption or title from the photographer, date, and location the image was photographed.

Curatorial Team
Images for this evolving exhibition are being chosen by a wide range of ICP staff—curators, administrators, and educators—coordinated by David Campany, managing director of programs, and Sara Ickow, curatorial coordinator.