Atelier Smedsby is a year-long photo program based in Paris
Episode 214: JH Engström and Margot Wallard run Atelier Smedsby, one of the premier year-long photographic workshop programs. They are true innovators in the field of alternative photographic education and the course is celebrating its tenth year in 2021.
The program is a dedicated and serious alternate form of photographic education that has produced a number of great participants whose projects have gone on to be published. Photo VOID members met there and have published a number of Smedsby workshop participant’s books that were developed with JH and Margot. Marco Marzocchi, Angelica Elliot, Matilde Søes Rasmussen, and Carl-Mikael Ström are a few of the names that have seen success post-program.
I wanted to speak with JH and Margot about their program as I am sincerely interested in seeing alternate forms of education become more prominent. This is not a replacement for traditional forms of education, but I think it is important to branch out and work with artists that have had a career and have produced books that are not tethered to particular forms of traditional education. Whereas traditional university programs related to photography are also highly commendable, programs like Smedsby offer intense insight from artists involved with galleries and publishers.
Throughout the episode, we speak about the beginnings of the program and how the couple looks at education. I believe it’s an important episode. Please have a listen.
