In the air we breathe

Rudi Williams presents photographs and photographic artefacts – some of which she has created herself, others she has found. Williams’ motifs are quiet spaces full of traces that evoke a wealth of associations. In this exhibition, she focuses on camera-less images and silhouettes that revolve around the tension between presence and absence and address the theme of loss. Her practice reflects both the history and technical processes of photography, experimenting with early techniques such as daguerreotype and cyanotype, also known as ‘sun printing’. The photographs, daguerreotypes and textiles on display are supported by delicate steel structures that refer to forms of presentation in museums and emphasise the distinctiveness of each object. Thus, photography does not appear here as a flood of images, but as a collection of unique, breathing testimonies. The title of the exhibition In the air we breathe refers to the perception of signs that emerge in the spirit of the social zeitgeist, such as the mood around 1839 when the invention of photography was already ‘in the air’ and images were ‘fixed’ for the first time.

This catalogue made on the occasion of Williams’ exhibition at the Museum Folkwang in 2025 responds to the idea of the unfixed image explored in the exhibition. The paper stock will yellow over time and there has been a sheet of unfixed silver gelatin paper inserted into each copy.

Available at World Food Books, Melbourne