Dialogical Aperture – Martin Buber’s Philosophy of Dialogue and Lu Nan’s Photography

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Abstract This paper explores Martin Buber’s dialogical philosophy and its influence on Lu Nan’s 呂楠 photography. By comparing Lu Nan’s trilogy, which documents marginalized communities in China, with Tyagan Miller’s Covenant: Scenes from an African American Church, the study examines how Buber’s I-Thou concept shapes their practices. It highlights their efforts to transcend the subjectivity-objectivity divide in photography, as suggested by Susan Sontag. Through the “Dialogical Aperture” framework, this research provides insights into the ethical and aesthetic dimensions of documentary photography, proposing Buber’s philosophy as a pathway to more authentic representations of reality.