Family FOTO

“Community means more than 'family': it is the cultural groups, markets, associations and friends who we encounter throughout our lives that matter." – James Barnor

For artist James Barnor, family and community were a constant source of inspiration in his photography. Family FOTO is an international family album inspired by Barnor’s Serpentine exhibition James Barnor: Accra/London – A Retrospective.

In June 2021, Serpentine launched a digital call-out inviting people from around the world to share their interpretations of family through personal images and reflections.

Presented in this online gallery, you will find photos and intergenerational stories shared by people from across the globe. Click on each image below to find out more about each submission.

It’s not too late to participate. Share your own images on social media with #SerpentineFamilyFOTO.

The text on the back of the photograph (left) reads, "Is nothing private???". It resonated with me, as in today's day and age, everyone's life is broadcasted on social media, from what they had for breakfast to who they fell out with that day. Nothing is private. Family albums were the early forms of documentation, capturing every special moment, whether it be candid or "KODAK". These albums would have only been shared between family and close friends in person, not across the world on the internet. The family album was physical; it was tactile the moments were real. Everything was put into an album whether it was a good shot or not, unlike the carefully curated grids we see today."

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