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
Dialect 方言社，前稱「澳門攝影情報社」，由四位獨立攝影人共同創立於 2017，是一個以澳門為基地的攝影團體與平台。該團體通過舉辦多樣化的展覽、討論會和活動，致力於為澳門攝影注入新活力，探索攝影的無限可能性。除了在網站上分享攝影學術資訊，包括攝影師和攝影集的介紹外，方言社還定期舉辦不同題材的攝影座談會。這些活動邀請來自本地和世界各地的攝影師在澳門舉辦小型展覽，旨在推廣攝影、整合各地攝影資訊，並為澳門提供更多攝影選擇。
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！」藝術書展。這個書展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 Platform for Macau Photography
“Dialect”, formerly known as “PhotoIntel Macau”, is a photography/art collective and platform co-founded by four independent photographers based in Macau. Established in 2017, “Dialect” injects new vitality into Macau’s art scene by hosting diverse exhibitions, discussions and activities, exploring the infinite possibilities of photography art. In addition to sharing photography information on its website, including introductions to photographers and independent art publishing. “Dialect” regularly organizes discussions on various themes and invite local and international visual artist to host exhibitions in Macau, aiming to promote and integrate photography and contemporary art culture from different regions, and to enrich the visual culture for Macau.
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, the society 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.
Photography 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.