The Unsettled Lens

Since the 19th century, photographers have crafted images that hinge on the idea of the uncanny, a psychological phenomenon existing, according to Sigmund Freud, at the intersection between the homely (Heimlich) and the estrangement within the home (Unheimlich) – the reassuring and the threatening.

The Unsettled Lens showcases new acquisitions in photography and photographs from the Museum’s permanent collection. Each of the photographs in the exhibition builds tension with the viewer based on a sense of the uncanny. These unsettling photographs take viewers to unfamiliar corners of the mind by converting the familiar into unrecognizable abstract impressions of reality, by intruding on moments of intimacy, by weaving enigmatic narratives, and by challenging notions of time and memory.

Exhibition overview from museum website.