About
為何是方言社？
攝影無疑具有語言的待性，但往往曖昧而不明，與一般語言結構有所不同。羅蘭巴特曾以俳句這種曖昧的日本文體來比喻攝影，在我們看來，攝影可算是語言的一種變體，因此，方言社之名對應的我們對攝影作為一種非標準化語言的理解。當影像作為視覺上的方言來呈現時，我們深信影像的內容和意義不會再受書面文字所限而變得單一化，以視覺出發來了解影像本身，正是我們方言社的宗旨。
Dialect 方言社：澳門攝影的多元平台
方言社（Dialect）立足於澳門，是一個致力於當代攝影、視覺文化與獨立紙本媒介的藝術團體與平台。成立於 2017 年（前身為 PhotoIntel Macau），由四位獨立攝影師共同發起，旨在激發澳門攝影社群的生命力，並探索影像媒介的無窮可能。
我們將「個人實踐」與「群體策展」有機連結。方言社的成員皆為活躍的創作者，各自擁有豐富的獨立出版與影像創作經驗；而作為一個平台，方言社則負責凝聚這些能量。我們透過舉辦藝術書展、快閃展覽、工作坊與藝術家分享會，打破地域界限，促成在地與國際發聲的深度連結。從關注本土敘事、城市變遷，到編織跨地域的影像知識網絡，方言社持續為創作者與大眾搭建橋樑，創造充滿活力的對話空間，並將澳門獨特的視覺記憶與故事，帶向全球獨立出版的浪潮之中。
攝影書和出版物推廣
近年來，方言社積極推廣攝影書和本地出版物。在澳門，除了舉辦SHOWCASE展覽，引進外地視覺藝術創作者外，還成功舉辦了「Bookery 開爐！」藝術書市。這個書市以圖像和獨立出版物的書市為主軸，致力發掘不同形式的實驗書、攝影觀點、繪本、漫畫、社區誌、zine等有趣作品。這些活動打破了大眾對書的傳統想像，為觀眾帶來新鮮的閱讀體驗。方言社還自資出版了攝影書《Maorganic》，以攝影為媒介，呈現出不一樣的澳門景觀。在外地推廣方面，方言社曾參加多個亞洲地區的藝術書展，期望將澳門藝術家的創作帶給世界各地的觀眾。
攝影圖書室
2024年7月，方言社成立了澳門首個以攝影出版物為主要導向的攝影圖書室。這個圖書室免費開放予大眾參觀和閱讀，目前收藏了約六百餘本各類攝影出版物，涵蓋了攝影書、攝影雜誌、攝影小誌Zine、攝影理論、文化藝術研究等相關書籍。這個圖書室不僅為攝影愛好者提供了豐富的資源，也成為了澳門攝影文化的一個重要推動力。
Why “Dialect”?
Photography no doubt has the characteristics of a language. But unlike language itself, it often lacks of clarity and remains unknown to readers. Words and sentences are different from images in terms of language structure, the famous literary theorist Roland Barthe once use haiku (a japanese form of literature) to metaphor photography for its ambiguity. Despite that, photography can be seen as a variant of language. Our collective “Dialect” represent our understanding to photography as a kind of non-standardized form of language, much like a dialect in linguistics. While image is presenting as a “visual dialect”, we are convincing that contents and meaning of the images won’t constrained by any kind of written or spoken language but rather to review itself visually.
“Dialect”: A Diverse Collective for Macau Photography
Based in Macau, Dialect is an independent arts collective and platform dedicated to contemporary photography, visual culture, and independent print media. Founded in 2017 by four independent photographers (formerly known as PhotoIntel Macau), the group is committed to invigorating the local photographic scene and probing the medium’s endless possibilities.
We seamlessly bridge individual artistic practice with collective curation. While our individual members are highly active creators who extensively self-publish their own photographic works, Dialect operates as a dynamic platform to channel this creative energy. Through organizing art book fairs, small scale intimate exhibitions, workshops, and artist talks, we create a collaborative ecosystem that connects local and international voices. From exploring local narratives and changing landscapes to weaving a cross-regional network of visual knowledge, Dialect continues to build bridges between creators and the public. We foster a vibrant space for dialogue, bringing Macau’s unique visual memory and narratives into the global independent publishing scene.
Promotion of Photobooks and Local Publications
In recent years, “Dialect” has actively promoted photobooks and local publications. In Macau, besides organizing the SHOWCASE exhibition, which introduces visual artists from abroad, “Dialect” has also successfully held the “Bookery Art Bookfair”. This fair focuses on independent art publications, aiming to discover different forms of experimental visual books, photobooks, picture books, comics, magazines, zines, and other interesting works. “Bookery” aim to break traditional perceptions of books, offering audiences a fresh reading experience. “Dialect” has also self-published the photobook “Maorganic,” using photography to present a different perspective on Macau’s landscape. In terms of international promotion, “Dialect” has participated in various art bookfairs in Asia, hoping to bring Macau artists’ creations to audiences worldwide.
Dialect Photo Library
In July 2024, “Dialect” established Macau’s first photography library focused on photo-based publications. This library is open to the public for free, currently housing over 600 photography publications, including photobooks, magazines, zines, photography theory, and cultural art research. This library not only provides rich resources for photography enthusiasts but also becomes a significant driving force for Macau’s visual art culture.