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When the Land Speaks is a presentation that explores the power of landscape photography to reveal the layered narratives embedded in place and how the land when photographed with attentiveness, intention and care can yield dialogue related to history, culture and politics, past, present and future. Using two bodies of work, one project created in Detroit, MI and the other done in the Southern U.S. with the support of a 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship, this presentation examines how photography can make visible the often unseen forces that shape our environments and how the land itself becomes a voice in the conversation about memory, transformation and reconciliation.

Since 1998, The ºÚÁÏרÇø Woodward Lecture Series has remained one of Southeast Michigan’s most prominent visiting speaker series, attracting over 100 renowned artists, critics and scholars to Detroit. In addition to public lectures, Woodward Lecturers directly engage with ºÚÁÏרÇø students through critiques and roundtable discussions, fostering a greater understanding of and appreciation for contemporary art and culture. The Series is made possible by a generous endowment gift from an anonymous donor.

This event is presented in partnership with the Society for Photographic Education Midwest Conference. Members of the general public are encouraged to RSVP below; conference attendees do not need to RSVP.

Directly following this lecture, we will move as a group to ºÚÁÏרÇø Center Galleries for the opening of Diaz’s solo exhibition of the same title, When the Land Speaks. Please visit this page for more exhibition and reception details.