In this week's episode, Alice and Nicolas interview photojournalist Hugh Kinsella Cunningham. Hugh has spent the past two years documenting humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He explains some of the logistical challenges which conflict photographers face and how conflict photography has changed in recent decades. Hugh is passionate about making forgotten or unseen conflicts more visible, and he wants the images he produces to raise awareness, engage people and inspire them to lobby for change. That got us talking about how visuals representations of war can encourage people to question and care rather than turn away or switch off. While some conflict photography focuses on armoured vehicles, ruined buildings and victims of violence, Hugh’s work paints a much broader picture, capturing the many ways in which war and other societal experiences overlap.
Among other questions, we asked Hugh:
We hope you enjoy the episode!
For a version of our podcast with close captions, please use this link. If you would like to see the images discussed in this podcast, you can find bonus material on our project blog. You can also follow Hugh on Instagram and find out more about his work on his website.
For more information about individuals and their projects, access to resources and more, please have a look on the University of St Andrews Visualising War website.
Music composed by Jonathan Young
Sound mixing by Zofia Guertin