On Thursday, 12 September, there will be an NJP seminar with Magnum-photographer Peter van Agtmael in Oslo. He is currently busy following the US election closely, after spending the past 20 years documenting American society and the wars in which the US has been involved. At the seminar, he will talk about his new book, entitled Look at the U.S.A.
Agtmael will take us on a journey into nationalism, race and politics, as he presents his new book, Look at the U.S.A. The seminar is free of charge and open to the public.
Peter van Agtmael published the book Look at the U.S.A. in May. It is a journey into nationalism, race and politics in American society. Agtmael’s photographs are known for their brutal documentation, perspective and insight into communities and aspects of the US that are not accessible to most people.
At 7 p.m. on Thursday, 12 September, Agtmael will exhibit some of his many projects at the Fritt Ord Foundation’s premises in Oslo.
A journey into nationalism
At a time when the world’s attention once again turns to the USA and the upcoming election, Agtmael will talk about his experiences of photographing the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and about how the wars impact the people in his home country. He will also take us on a journey into nationalism, militarism, and the election of Trump.
The book Look at the U.S.A., which was published in May 2024, is a personal account of the USA after September 11th, at war and on its home turf. Through reports and memoirs, photographs and words, the book documents the huge mistakes that defined this era that began with the war in Iraq and ended with the Taliban’s take-over of Afghanistan
Began in Iraq
Driven by ideology, uncertainty, ambitions and a profound fascination with war, Peter van Agtmael started taking photos of the war in Iraq in 2005. This also marked the beginning of a photographic odyssey lasting for more than two decades, and the work is predicated on a deep need to understand and peel off the layers of his restless community.
Look at the U.S.A. confronts the mythologising of war and the seductive nature of conflict on the US psyche.
The project and the book recognise the relationship between the wars between generations and on the country’s own turf, putting US troops into battle together with their grieving families at home and their ministering to the wounded.
The election of Donald Trump
As the book progresses, the perspective grows broader, covering the contours of nationalism, the election of Donald Trump, militarism, race and class in American society.
Featuring van Agtmael’s personal accounts, observations and interviews with people he has met on his travels, Look at the U.S.A. is a damning, sometimes ironic criticism that will surely make it one of the pre-eminent photobooks on war.
Peter van Agtmael is a member of the Magnum Photo Agency. His books include Look at the U.S.A., Sorry for the War and Disco Night September 11th.
What: Seminar featuring Magnum photographer Peter van Agtmael
When: Thursday, 12 September, 7 p.m.
Where: Fritt Ord, Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo.
Free admission
