New Topographics

In 1975, an important exhibition took place at the George Eastman House in Rochester called New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape, curated by William Jenkins.

The photography of the New Topographics was a reaction on the work of photographers such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Minor White. The emphasis shifted from images celebrating the untouched, sublime beauty of the American landscape to photographs that reflected more directly on human presence in the landscape and its consequences. Many of these images are not necessarily beautiful, but they are often deeply intriguing. The message resonated widely as accurate, important, and thoughtprovoking, sparking discussions about the responsibility landscape photographers can—or perhaps must—take regarding the social and political contexts of their subjects.

The significance of the 1975 exhibition continues to influence photographers to this day, sometimes maybe even unconsciously. The most well-known – and still living - New Topographer is probably Robert Adams, considered by many to be the most important one. He has published numerous (photo)books.

Landscape Photography Today

In 2026, the crisis facing nature and the landscape is more present than ever. We now live in the Anthropocene. Across the world, people are searching—often desperately—for solutions for this global problem. At the same time, photography, long responsible for shaping our visual understanding of nature and landscape, is undergoing rapid transformations due to technological developments.

What role can photographers, and landscape photographers in particular, play in addressing this crisis? What kinds of images, what visual languages, are needed to make an impact? And what can we learn from the New Topographics in light of these questions?

The occasion for this afternoon of talks is Hans Bol’s exhibition SKIN – SLITS | CUTS | RELICS at the Pennings Foundation, presenting photographs he has taken over the past 40 years of the landscape of marble quarrying in Carrara and the surrounding area. Initially, he was captivated by the beautiful structures that emerged within the quarries, but over time his focus shifted increasingly toward the destructive impact of marble extraction on the landscape. Hans Bol has been strongly influenced by the New Topographics.

Talks and Presentations

On Saturday afternoon, 28 February 2026, several (landscape) photographers will present their work and subsequently engage in a conversation with one another and the audience.

Participating photographers: Hans Bol, Tanja Engelberts, Ruben Hamelink, Roderik Henderson, Elian Somers, Philippe Vandenbroeck.

Moderator: art historian Frits Gierstberg

Admission is free. Please register: https://bit.ly/49LEIAt