Soham Joshi, Holly Birtles and Ārun gathered in Chennai, India, in December 2024 to be residents at the Chennai Photo Biennale Community Darkroom for 6 weeks. Working across different processes, the artists demonstrated the evolving possibilities of alternative and analogue photographic techniques, often challenging traditional ideas. These projects draw on the darkroom as a space for meditative introspection, experimental discovery, friendship and camaraderie.
All projects culminated in Alt:Analog, an exhibition part of Chennai Photo Biennale Edition 4. Open from 16 January to 15 February, Alt:Analog presented a diverse exploration of material, process and concept.
The Darkroom Residency is the result of a partnership between CPB Foundation and Photoworks, supported by the British Council.
Soham shares his experience below:
My time in Chennai during the Darkroom Residency was instrumental in shaping Camera and The Queer Image – Chennai, a project exploring queer identity, belonging, and visibility through black-and-white portraits on paper negatives. The choice of this medium was both technical and conceptual—paper negatives, often considered transitional or experimental, reflect the fluidity of queer identities that resist rigid classification.
The residency provided dedicated time to refine my approach to working with paper negatives, which require a different methodology than traditional film. The darkroom became a space for experimentation, where I learned to work with the material’s limitations rather than against them. This process reinforced the project’s core idea—that what is often dismissed as marginal or imperfect can hold significant meaning.
Beyond technical exploration, the residency facilitated deeper engagement with my sitters and the city. The portraits were created through a collaborative process, where each individual had agency in their representation. Chennai’s social and cultural landscape added another layer to the project, highlighting the complexities of queer visibility in a conservative environment. Through these interactions, I was able to reflect on my positionality and the role of the photographer in shaping narratives.
The outcomes of this residency extend beyond the final prints. It has deepened my understanding of the intersections between medium, identity, and representation, reinforcing the importance of process-driven photography. The project contributes to conversations around queer visibility in India, questioning how photographic practices can challenge erasure and create space for marginalized identities. By working with paper negatives, the project reclaims a material often overlooked, much like the stories it seeks to document.
