Contribution short abstract:

The paper examines the integration of amateur photography in building democratic, diverse, and participatory museum narratives. Drawing on curatorial research and Polish case studies, it highlights the potential and challenges of using domestic photography in inclusive museum practices.

Contribution long abstract:

Since its invention, photography has promised to be a democratic medium—initially gifted to humanity by the French government, present in "every" home since the late 19th century thanks to Kodak amateur cameras, and in every pocket today via digital cameras in mobile phones. Photography also promised both to capture the truth and to preserve memory, empowering individuals as chroniclers and archivists while transforming the world into a documented space.

Despite this potential, the democratic promise of photography has remained unfulfilled in many respects. The camera has been an instrument of emancipation and oppression. Institutions devoted to collecting and preserving objects and stories, like museums and public archives, have prioritized narratives constructed by professional photographers or artists, often overlooking grassroots perspectives.

This shift has positioned domestic photography as a valuable resource in creating inclusive museum narratives. By incorporating amateur photography into exhibitions, museums can address gaps in their collections, presenting the experiences of underrepresented groups through their own visual perspectives. Such practices not only enrich collections but also foster deeper emotional engagement with audiences.

This paper examines the integration of amateur photography in building democratic, diverse, and participatory museum narratives. It draws on the author’s research into curatorial practices and explores case studies from Polish institutions, highlighting the potential and challenges of utilizing domestic photography as a means of democratizing museum spaces.