We are very happy to share with h-madness readers, this very interesting call for papers on the histories of photography in psychiatry, the conference will take place on 20-21 November 2025.

Histories of Photography in Psychiatry (19th–20th Century) 

The role of photography in psychiatry has been explored from multiple perspectives, spanning the medical field, the human and social sciences, and the arts. The exhibition, running from 17 October 2025 to 18 January 2026 at the Nicéphore Niépce Museum in Chalon-sur-Saône, offers an opportunity to take a fresh look at the connections between photography and this medical specialty. Whether as a documentary or journalistic tool, a means of diagnosis or teaching, or an artistic medium, photography has been used to depict psychiatric practices and actors, caregivers and patients, raising both ethical and epistemological questions in the process. 

This conference aims to examine the interactions between photography and psychiatry through a multidisciplinary approach, covering nearly two centuries. While France serves as the geographical focus of the exhibition, the conference will also consider other contexts in which psychiatric photographs have been produced and circulated. Although certain bodies of work have been extensively analyzed and have become milestones in the history of photography, the broader history of photographic representation in psychiatry remains largely unexplored. This conference seeks to understand how photography has shaped the perception of mental illness and the representation of psychiatry, its institutions, and its knowledge. The photographic medium has played a role in clinical and institutional practice, as well as in journalism and the arts, influencing public perceptions of mental illness and those affected by it. 

At the same time, the conference will explore how psychiatry has utilized photography, adapting specific techniques and developing particular methods for preserving and disseminating images. A key objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the material conditions surrounding the production of these images: Who commissions, creates, distributes, and sells them? What status do these individuals hold, and how do they engage with photographic imagery in practice? What relationships develop between the photographer and the photographed subject? 

Finally, this conference will open a space for reflection on the ethical issues surrounding psychiatric photography. How have attitudes toward psychiatric images and patient portraits evolved over time? How have these concerns influenced the way such images are displayed and preserved? 

The overarching goal is to analyze the conditions under which psychiatry – its knowledge, its patients, and its practices – has been visually represented in France and beyond through the photographic medium. It will also explore the various ways these photographs have been used, the contexts in which they have circulated, how institutional regulations have shaped their production and the modes of their reception. By considering the long-term relationship between psychiatry and photography, this symposium also aims to shed light on the recent evolution of psychiatric photography. On one hand, technological advancements – particularly artificial intelligence and new platforms for displaying and sharing images – have transformed the field. On the other, contemporary photographic practices often engage in a critical reassessment of psychiatric institutions and the very notion of ‘madness.’ 

THE CONFERENCE 

The conference will take place on 20-21 November 2025 in Chalon-sur-Saône (1h30 from Paris) to coincide with the exhibition Face à ce qui se dérobe, les clichés de la folie at the Musée Nicéphore Niépce (17 October 2025 – 18 January 2026). 

As part of the conference, participants will be offered a guided tour of the exhibition. In addition to academic presentations, the program will feature roundtable discussions and interviews with contemporary photographers whose work explores psychiatry and psychological disorders. 

Presentation Format : Papers should be 20 to 30 minutes long and will be followed by a discussion with the audience. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 

Proposals (max. 4,000 characters) accompanied by a short bio-bibliography should be sent to the organizers, Alice Aigrain and Marianna Scarfone, at aaigrain@unistra.fr and mscarfone@unistra.fr. 

Submission deadline: 28 April 2025 

Priority will be given to proposals examining unpublished bodies of work. Additionally, the selection process will take into account the historical and geographical diversity of submissions, as well as a range of disciplinary perspectives. 

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE 

Alice Aigrain, University of Strasbourg 

Emilie Bernard, Nicéphore Niepce Museum 

Mireille Berton, University of Lausanne 

Hervé Guillemain, University of Le Mans 

Anne Roekens, University of Namur 

Marianna Scarfone, University of Strasbourg 

Jean-Marc Talpin, University of Lyon 2 

ORGANISING COMMITTEE 

Alice Aigrain & Marianna Scarfone