Claim OwnershipThe Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks
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© 2025 Lukas Birk
Description
Welcome to The Photo Vault.
Our host, Lukas Birk, takes you on a voyage filled with exclusive on sight interviews featuring renowned artists who draw inspiration from vernacular photography, collectors who have dedicated their lives to amassing incredible troves of images, and curators who curate exhibitions that bridge the gap between past and present.
The Photo Vault steps into a hidden world filled with forgotten snapshots, dusty family albums, and gems of visual history to be uncovered. Join us as we embark on an exhilarating tour into the heart of collecting, curating and creating artworks and photobooks with archival materials around the globe.
The Photo Vault is part of the Vernacular Social Club, a platform that brings together people who share a common interest in the Vernacular world www.vernacularsocialclub.com
The host:
Lukas Birk, is an Austrian researcher, artist, and publisher who primarily focuses on archival narratives and edits stories from South and Southeast Asia. He founded the Myanmar Photo Archive, the Afghan Box Camera Project, SewonArtSpace in Yogyakarta, and the Austro Sino Arts Program in Beijing. As well as a boutique camera Manufacture producing the Instant Box Camera and an independent photobook publishing project called Fraglich Publishing.
23 Episodes
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Welcome to the Photo Vault, featuring books that inspire you! Today, we’re exploring the work of one of my favorite storytellers in the form of a photo book that uses a lot of vernacular photography—Kurt Tong. Listen to this episode to gain insight into why he values these three bodies of work. Dracula - Bram Stoker The Haunting of Bly Manor - Mike Flanagan Philip Pullman - His Dark Material Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacu...
In this episode, I take you to Singapore, where I attended the Singapore International Photo Festival with the Myanmar Photo Archive. During my time there, I met Roy Ng, a curator at the National Gallery Singapore. Our conversation quickly turned into a deep dive into the evolving cultural landscape of Singapore—how the city-state is positioning itself as a regional cultural hub, the complexities of representation, and the role of institutions in shaping artistic narratives. Roy shares his in...
In this episode of The Photo Vault, we speak with the wonderfully insightful Chiara Capodici about her experience in the photobook world. From the "mythical times" in Europe 20 years ago to today's bookselling landscape, portfolio reviews, and photobook publishing, Chiara shares her journey and perspectives. Chiara runs Leporello Books in Rome, Italy—a bookshop primarily devoted to photography, graphic design, architecture, and illustration. It also serves as an exhibition space focused on bo...
We all need inspiration, and books can certainly provide it. Today, we explore some wonderfully unusual inspirations from Dutch collage artist Chantal Rens. Her book selections stem from her deep love for animals. Discover more through her descriptions, and see links to the books she discusses below: Mijn lama, Diekman Miep Counting sheep Hans van der Meer erik Kessel - in almost every picture 9 SOUVENIR - ROLAND TOPOR Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Clu...
Meet Kurt Tong, an award-winning photographer and storyteller who has crafted some of the finest narratives in recent years, blending archival and vernacular photographs with personal storytelling. In our conversation, he gives a very honest account of why he left photojournalism and how to rethink your goals as an artist. Enjoy this conversation! Artist website: Dear Franklin Book Krampus: Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacul...
3 Books That Inspire You Today with Chiara Capodici, who runs Leporello Books in Rome. Chiara brings a deeply philosophical approach to photobooks and bookmaking. Tune in to hear about her two current favorite photobooks and her all-time favorite author. She recommends the following books and authors Tara - Sebastian Bruno Silence is a gift - Ciro Battiloro Roberto Calasso Follow us on Instagram: @Vernacular Social Club @Lukas Birk Become a Vernacular Soc...
This episode of The Photo Vault accompanies the latest edition of REVU magazine, titled War & Peace. REVU is the Vernacular Social Club’s print outlet, covering a variety of subjects. Although there is much to say on War & Peace, this episode was not easy to create. We decided to touch on a few aspects of War & Peace in photography and in general. The world at this moment, or perhaps at any given moment, is entangled in so many wars that it is almost impossible to know where to be...
In this episode, you will follow Lukas as he explores the photobook world at Les Rencontres de la Photographie d'Arles, a fantastic photo festival in the south of France that has been running since 1970. Lukas talks to publishers, artists, fair organizers, and bookshop owners about the festival, the book market, and how the photobook has evolved in a festival environment like Arles. We delve into the thoughts of publishers based in Europe, authors who come all the way from Mexico, and some of...
In this episode of The Photo Vault, we receive book recommendations from the Istanbul-based artist Cemre Yeşil Gönenli. Her book choices are varied and full of emotional connections to her own journey of becoming a photo artist. Listen to her colourful stories of how books can inspire and change your perspectives. Listen also to a previous episode where we talk with Cemre in detail about her practice and what it’s like to work as an artist in today's Turkey. References: The Chain Chien-Chi Ch...
In this Episode of The Photo Vault we are going to explore a very peculiar Vernacular Photo Festival in Italy. Gu.Pho. Our host Lukas went South to work on an exhibition of the Vernacular Social Club as well as an installation for his new book “A tiny visual history of the Moustache”. Gu.Pho festival, in the wonderful town of Guigla, about 40 minutes south of Bologna, in a magnificently run-down castle, was full of surprises and insights. Listen in this Episode what the festival i...
In this episode of The Photo Vault, we discuss with Dutch artist and editor Erik Kessels why it is important to have an opinion and dislike things, as well as why it is most important that young artists get paid. Erik is a prolific book and exhibition maker, known for his narrative creation through appropriated images. Take a look as well at Erik’s website and publishing page to gain a deeper understanding of his work and thought process." Enjoy the conversation: Erik Kessels WebsiteInsta...
Follow French editor and artist Thomas Sauvin on his journey from a Chinese language student to the collector and editor of an enormous archive that he continually augments from a dumpsite in Beijing. With his project, Beijing Silvermine, he has produced humorous and intelligent publications over the last 10 years, granting us access to a specific period in time in China. Lukas met Thomas in Paris at the Beijing Silvermine studio, and in their conversation, they unravel Thomas’ reflections on...
In this episode, we delve into a talk event on Vernacular Photography that took place in November 2023. Our host, Lukas, was one of the speakers and has encapsulated a myriad of ideas, thoughts, and practices surrounding everyday imaging that were presented during the event. The talk was organized by the Eidolon Center in Budapest, a new institution that concentrates on vernacular, archives, and everyday imagery. They create a fantastic journal that showcases artists and academics actively wo...
In this episode, we meet Thweep Rittinaphakorn, also known as Ake, in Bangkok, and explore his collection of photographs from Myanmar during the colonial era. Ake is an expert in Myanmar textiles who ventured into collecting photography and released a photobook from a very different background. His collection is fascinating and multi-layered, as he doesn't approach his images from a pictorial point of view but rather through an examination of materiality. Find out more about Ake on his ...
This episode of The Photo Vault prompts us to question the world around us by examining product packaging, which often reinforces and perpetuates stereotypical norms in various aspects of our lives. Our guest, Annebella Pollen, a professor of Visual and Material Culture, author of numerous books, and an avid collector, delves into some of her projects, interests, and findings. Discover why a seemingly innocuous bikini advertisement can contribute to reinforcing stereotypes and why Anneb...
In this episode, we hear thoughts, ideas, and stories from writer, critic, educator, and artist Lucy Sante. She has a fascinating history and engagement with photography, writing on photography, and collecting. She has turned some of her collections into books and tells us about how she retrieved the photographs that went into titles such as 'Evidence.' She also touches upon subjects such as being a bilingual writer, which made her a better writer, and how vernacular photography changed her l...
In this episode of The Photo Vault, we discuss with artist, photographer, and book publisher Joachim Schmid why he is not a collector but a gatherer. We also delve deep into computer history and Joachim’s first contact with Apple computers, as well as why he likes to create low-quality photobooks, explore Flickr, and engage in gardening. Joachim Schmid is one of the most influential artists working with found images and has been creating artwork, books, exhibitions, and text since the 1980s. ...
In today's Three Books that inspired you special, we hear Greek curator and writer Natasha Christia talk about the important role of literature in her work and also what inspired her in theoretical writing. Her three recommendations are: Emmanuel CarrèreAriella Azoulay - the civil contract of photography / potential history: unlearning imperialism Natasha Christia & Lukas Birk, Gülistan Find visuals to the books on our website www.vernacularsocialclub.org Follow us on In...
In this episode, we are meeting with Cemre Yeşil Gönenli, an Istanbul-born and -based artist, photographer, and educator. She gives us insight into her quest for finding the invisible through photography, by looking at what cannot be seen in images. Cemre also talks about the current difficult situation for artists in Turkey and why inflation makes it so challenging to run a photo bookshop. She opened FILbooks a few years ago, a photobook cafe in the heart of the city. One of her recent...
In our first Three Books that inspired you special we asked Dutch artist Erik Kessels about photo-books that enriched his way of thinking The books are: Chantal Rens - YOU RUN AROUND TOWN LIKE A FOOL AND YOU THINK THAT IT'S GROOVY, published by PANTOFLE BOOKS, 2916Christian Boltanksi, KADISH. Paris: Musée d'Art Modern; München: Gina Kehayoff Verlag, 1998Sha kokken The love in sex life, Published by Ikeda, 1968Find visuals to the books on our website www.vernacularsocialclub.org ...
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