Susan Sontag

Susan Sontag studied the nature and impact of visual media throughout her career. As early as 1977, having recognised the decisive influence of photography in our media-driven society, she published On Photography, her most widely read book, in which she argued that the act of taking a photograph is more than just passive observation. In view of the dramatic proliferation of photographs of war and atrocities in the wake of globalisation, she reiterated her warning against the dangers of apathy and visual numbness in her 2003 book Regarding the Pain of Others.

The exhibition Susan Sontag. Seeing and Being Seen focuses on her observations on photography and traces Sontag’s theories and thoughts on the subject. It also explores her involvement with queer culture, her stance on the discrimination against people infected with HIV and her own struggle with cancer. Moreover, it shines a light on Sontag as a film enthusiast and director and portrays her as an independent woman who rebelled against society throughout her life.

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Recommended Exhibition

SUSAN SONTAG: „EVERYTHING MATTERS”
May 23 – November 30, 2025 at Literaturhaus München
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