FILMWERKPLAATS PROJECTS

Past, future and ongoing projects

LOW TOXIC FILM DEVELOPMENT

A series of lectures & research workshops, filmic try-outs and presentations hosted by Filmwerkplaats, Rotterdam.

The Photographic Garden project sees Filmwerkplaats researching (and developing) photochemical processes that do not unduly burden the environment. This involves developing processes based on plants and home-garden-kitchen ingredients with low toxicity. An alternative chemistry that will yield a different, new film aesthetic. One in which the (chemical) components and their origin come to the fore and the physical processing of the (film) emulsion during the DIY process is emphasised.

Working with analogue film involves a large number of chemical processes. To make the invisible (latent) image that is formed by the exposure in the light-sensitive layer of photographic film material visible, a number of “development” steps are necessary. This laboriousness is an intrinsic part of the changed process of making film, the transformation from a once industrial production process to an artistic, hands-on (Do-It-Yourself) ‘alchemically’ oriented production process. It is this fascination with materials and processes that increasingly characterizes analogue film culture. Film as an empirical and tactile research field, a photochemical playground!

LECTURE ONE
26 June 2021

PHOTOGRAPHIC GARDEN
Low Toxic Film Development

SUMMER PROJECT 2021
A series of lectures & research workshops, filmic try-outs and presentations hosted by Filmwerkplaats.

FREE RESOURCE

The lectures are intended as practical modules, a kind of starters guide to practice the topics discussed hands-on at home. Filmwerkplaats wants to encourage personal experimentation and try-outs through formulas and processes provided during the lectures.

Filmwerkplaats has committed to making sure these techniques are available online to all, as a free resource publication, maintained after the project ends.

Lecture series 1-6

LECTURE TWO
17 July 2021

LECTURE THREE
28 August 2021

LECTURE FOUR
18 September 2021

LECTURE FIVE
16 October 2021

LECTURE SIX
13 November 2021