Talk

MFA Photography, Video and Related Media presents a talk with artists Isaac Diggs and Edward Hillel.

From Harlem’s iconic 125th street to the musical landscape of contemporary Detroit, the collaborative photographic work of Issac Diggs and Edward Hillel offers a nuanced and penetrating look at the contemporary urban environment in America. Diggs and Hillel will talk about their various projects, books and exhibitions, as well as the process of collaboration.

Isaac and Edward met in 2004 in Harlem and began to collaborate soon thereafter. In 2014, they published 125th: Time in Harlem, subject of their current exhibition at the Hunter East Harlem Gallery. In 2021, their second publication together, Electronic Landscapes, was shortlisted for the Aperture Paris Photo Book Award, named one of top ten art books of 2021 by Hyperallergic and received a national design award from AIGA, the professional association for design.

Photographer and educator Isaac Diggs explores the urban fabric of cities in the United States and abroad. He has published books on Lagos and Los Angeles, and his photographs have been exhibited nationally and in Japan. Isaac received his BA in english literature at Columbia University and his MFA in photography from Bard College. He was also a faculty member at the School of Visual Arts in New York until 2021.

Photographer and multidisciplinary artist Edward Hillel focuses on themes exploring community, human rights, memory and place. Working internationally in the spheres of archival research, documentary or performance, his process is a form of social practice, questioning hegemonic systems within a framework of dialogue and collaboration. His work is represented in public and private collections, and has been widely exhibited and published.