CALL + RESPONSE + RESPONSE – presented by the International Center of Photography featuring the 2015 ICP-Bard MFA Candidates – is an immersive exhibition that demonstrates how photography operates as a conversational tool that initiates engagement and triggers discourse.

As citizens of this planet we are constantly inundated with imagery, influenced by imagery, and creating imagery. Photography no longer holds as a declarative statement, but operates as a conversational tool—as a means of communicating beyond borders, languages, ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations.

We are a collective of 13 artists united by the quest for personal, artistic, and intellectual development. We are more than just peers—we are comrades, confidants, brothers, sisters, mentors, and pupils. We are a community of artists united by the passion to create who believe that knowledge is gained from diverse opinions. We believe that nurturing and maintaining our connections with one another are imperative for our continual learning and growth—both individually and collectively.

Over the course of the summer luscious lands, cool bodies of water, and international time zones may have separated us, yet we continued to strengthen our bonds. We corresponded via artwork we created in an advanced scheme of “call and response.” We initiated this visual dialogue with our unique interpretations of the number 13. Through the exchange of imagery and ideas, we conceptually propelled the conversation to unknown destinations. This exhibition is the sum of our interactions.