Exhibitions

What The Camera Didn’t See

Alexander Gorlizki/Pink City Studio

The exhibition What The Camera Didn’t See reimagines the boundaries between photography and miniature painting, bringing together 23 artworks by Alexander Gorlizki and the Pink City Studio, led by master miniature painter Riyaz Uddin. The paintings were created in response to a set of photographs in the MAP collection and on vintage photographs. Gorlizki gives these images a fantastical context by creating elaborate compositions on and around the originals, reanimating and transforming images of royalty, common people, architecture, nature, and more into vibrant, whimsical narratives.

As these ‘outside’ elements merge with the images from the past, they subvert the rigidity of historical documentation. Multi-layered compositions emerge, encouraging us to question and challenge the traditional interpretations and limitations of historical imagery.

What The Camera Didn’t See encourages you to embrace a new perspective on the past, where static, formal images give way to colourful, dynamic narratives. Untold stories are discovered, going beyond the camera lens. Join us on this journey through a wonderland that transcends both time and imagination. The exhibition features some of the original photographs, and we invite you to come explore these, creating a journey for yourself –- what do you see that the camera didn’t?

Street Scene, Alexander Gorlizki, 2023, India, Pigment on digital photograph, MAC.03334