Aftermath: Landscapes of Devastation

January 13 - May 27, 2018

Over the last 150 years the medium of photography has powerfully depicted and shaped representations of past and present scenes of devastation. Aftermath examines landscape photographs made at the sites of natural or human-made disasters, capturing the results of destructive forces wrought on the land and its inhabitants, including volcano eruptions and floods, massacres and uprisings, and even nuclear explosions. The photographs portray both well-known and untold stories of violence, tragedy, and loss. Each scene is visually striking, yet viewers may be surprised at the elements of beauty and tranquility present in these tragic landscapes. The exhibition includes images of the aftermath of events spanning over 2,000 years of human history—from ancient Pompeii to September 11, 2001. These photographs remind us that disaster is often a collective experience that can tear apart the seams of a culture’s social fabric and impact societies well after an event. 

Lead support for Aftermath: Landscapes of Devastation is provided by the Herbert W. and Susan L. Johe Endowment. Additional generous support is provided by the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Screen Arts and Cultures.

Images

Peter Turnley, New York, 9-11-01, 2001, archival pigment print. University of Michigan Museum of Art, Gift of David and Jennifer Kieselstein, 2016/2.504

Leonard Freed, Workers Outside a Home Damaged by Flood, Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA, 1972, gelatin silver print. University of Michigan Museum of Art, Gift of Thomas Wilson '79 and Jill Garling '80, 2014/2.326, Photo © Magnum Photos

Henri Cartier-Bresson, World War II Liberation, Limousin, Haute-Vienne, Oradour-sur-Glane, France, 1944, gelatin silver print. University of Michigan Museum of Art, Gift of Thomas Wilson '79 and Jill Garling '80, 2014/2.323, © Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos, courtesy of Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson

Timeline

Exhibition Timeline

SatJan 13
Exhibition Opens
Sun
Jan 28
Aftermath: Landscapes of Devastation
2:00pm3:00pm
Gallery Talks and Tours
Sun
Feb 4
UMMA Dialogue: Mediating Disaster 
3:00pm4:30pm
Artists and Curators / Exhibitions Related / Film
Sun
Feb 25
Aftermath: Landscapes of Devastation
2:00pm3:00pm
Gallery Talks and Tours
Sun
Mar 18
Aftermath: Landscapes of Devastation
2:00pm3:00pm
Gallery Talks and Tours
Sun
Mar 25
In Conversation: Media, Memory, and Disaster in Aftermath: Landscapes of Devastation  
3:00pm4:00pm
Artists and Curators / Exhibitions Related / Gallery Talks and Tours
Wed
Apr 4
SMTD@UMMA Performance: Scars
7:00pm8:00pm
Exhibitions Related / Performing Arts / Student Events
Wed
Apr 4
SMTD@UMMA Performance: Scars
8:30pm9:30pm
Exhibitions Related / Performing Arts
Sun
Apr 15
Aftermath: Landscapes of Devastation
2:00pm3:00pm
Gallery Talks and Tours
SunMay 27
Exhibition Closes
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