Addressing Uncomfortable Emotions through the Photo-Exhibition Leaving and Waving by Deanna Dikeman

Abstract

Photography conveys emotions. However, while a great deal of attention has been given to the artists’ point of view, only rarely these have been explored from the perspective of the viewers of photo-exhibitions. This study focuses on the photo-exhibition Leaving and Waving, which took place in three different Italian cities, over the course of five months, after the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected through a quali-quanti approach explored the viewers’ perspective on the exhibition and the emotions generated through this. Authors argue that visual art and the aesthetic of photography have the potential of engaging a general audience and generating dialogues on ‘uncomfortable emotions’, such as those derived from loss, detachment, aging, and death. Drawing on social sciences perspectives, this study contributes to raising awareness of the importance of photography in discussing loss in everyday conversation and articulating difficult feelings for individual well-being.