OVERVIEW

The second edition of Fields of Vision turns its gaze toward the shifting practices of contemporary photography. How are artists today reframing familiar terrains and narratives while still working in dialogue with the region’s deep visual and cultural histories?

This call seeks contemporary voices working from inside the place—whether geographically, emotionally, or conceptually—to engage with its evolving realities. In doing so, we ask: What new focal points emerge when we blur the edges between past and present, fact and fiction, documentation and imagination? How do shifting tools and technologies shape not only what we see, but how we see—and who gets to speak?

We invite work that tests the limits of what constitutes a photographic practice—whether through digital manipulation, moving image, archival intervention, artificial intelligence remixing, or hybrid forms—while remaining rooted in the landscapes, communities, and visual cultures of Central Illinois. How can such approaches reveal overlooked perspectives, challenge inherited tropes, or complicate established visual grammars?

Our goal is to establish a gathering place for the region’s photography community—one that promotes connection and exchange. This year’s show will be presented alongside a curated selection of zines, as well as prints from artists featured in last year’s Fields of Vision exhibition. Read more about the broader initiative.

Curated by Tim Hale