Xposure Festival: War photographers on ethics and relationships
At the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah, war photographers Anastasia Taylor-Lind, Giles Clarke, and Kiana Hayeri discussed the ethical dimensions of conflict photography. Taylor-Lind, who has worked in Ukraine since 2014, emphasized building trust through repeated visits to the same families, ensuring consent even in sensitive moments. Clarke, documenting humanitarian crises for the United Nations, focuses on civilians and daily consequences of conflict, aiming to create visual proximity without capitalizing on tragedy. Hayeri, who has long documented Afghan women, sees photography as a form of resistance against the Taliban's erasure of women from public space, stressing the need to stay connected with subjects beyond a single project. All three agree that photography is a conscious ethical act that can influence how we choose to see the world.
Key facts
- Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah featured war photographers Anastasia Taylor-Lind, Giles Clarke, and Kiana Hayeri.
- Taylor-Lind has worked in Ukraine since 2014 and co-created a project on Donbass with journalist Alyssa Sofava.
- Taylor-Lind verifies consent with subjects even in delicate moments, showing images before publication.
- Clarke documents conflicts and humanitarian crises for the United Nations, focusing on civilians and climate emergencies.
- Clarke aims to create visual proximity and show courage rather than victimhood.
- Hayeri documents the condition of women in Afghanistan, responding to their exclusion from public space by the Taliban.
- Hayeri states that existing and occupying space in Afghanistan is a form of resistance.
- All three photographers view photography as a conscious ethical act that can impact how viewers perceive conflict.
Entities
Artists
- Anastasia Taylor-Lind
- Giles Clarke
- Kiana Hayeri
- Alyssa Sofava
Institutions
- Xposure International Photography Festival
- United Nations
- Artribune
Locations
- Sharjah
- United Arab Emirates
- Swindon
- United Kingdom
- London
- Tehran
- Iran
- Ukraine
- Donbass
- Afghanistan