The exhibition was based on the Ethnologisches Museum’s huge stock of portrait and type photographs from Amazonia. As part of a research project, Michael Kraus had previously reappraised more than 6,500 pictures in the historical photo collection dedicated to Latin America. The aim of “Touching Photography” was to shed light on the moments the pictures were taken and used, as well as on concrete knowledge of individual persons and forms of encounter. In collaboration with the office for scenography chezweitz, experiments were conducted with forms of media conveyance, without presenting the original historical prints. The exhibition was shown in three rooms: after encountering several projected, life-size portraits, narratives based on historical texts explained the contexts in which the photos were taken. Finally, an archive situation was provided, in which the visitors could actively take part.

You can find a detailed description of the project here.