Grains & Beans: Photowalk And Film Developing Workshop with Christian Toledo (Using Caffenol)

Date:

Friday, August 16, 2024

Location:

Blaffer Art Museum

Schedule:

10:00am-2:00pm

Format:

We invite you to join us for a photo walk through campus and a film developing workshop, The last in a series of three workshops held in partnership with Lualo Artist Collective and in conjunction with Cian Dayrit: Liberties Were Taken. Caffenol is a developing agent that is made with coffee and vitamin C, an environmentally friendly way of developing coffee at home. This workshop was sparked by personal questions about coffee, photography, sustainability, human rights and environmental justice.

Know before you go: Check-in is at 10am. A lite breakfast will be provided. You are encouraged to bring a film camera if possible. Dress comfortably, bring water (it will be provided otherwise), and consider wearing a hat and walking shoes will walk outdoors. The photo walk is about an hour long, followed by film development and discussion.

Afterwards, stay for a (2:00-3:00pm) Curator’s Talk with Erika Mei Chua Holum, Associate Curator.

Parking:

Elgin Street Garage (4224 Elgin Street) | Parking will be validated

Registration:

Must Register, Limited Space Available: https://tinyurl.com/GrainsandBeans

Artist:

Christian Toledo (he/him) is a community organizer, arts manager, photographer and filmmaker currently based in Houston, Texas. He graduated with a BA in Philippine Arts and double majored in Arts Management and Cultural Heritage from the University of the Philippines and took his MA in Media Studies in the UP Film Institute. His experience includes working for the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Arts Education Department and he is now the development director for Lualo Studio, a cause-driven creative studio committed to amplifying movements, socially impactful businesses, and grass-root organizations.

About the workshop:

This workshop was inspired by a friend who asked about environmentally friendly methods for developing film at home. Through his research, Christian found out about Caffenol and the movement towards more sustainable film photography. The connection to coffee farmers was influenced by his sister’s thesis, which explored the various challenges faced by coffee farmers in the Philippines, from exploitation through international agreements to the murder of union leaders in coffee factories. This theme is also reflected in Cian Dayrit’s “Liberties Were Taken” exhibit.

The aim of this workshop is not to become a professional photographer, but to cultivate mindfulness of our surroundings through photography, think more about sustainability and to connect everything back to nature and the people who nurture it; from the grains that make up a photo, to the beans that wake us up in the morning.