"Witness:" Photography exhibition marks five years since the onset of the pandemic

"Witness:" Photography exhibition marks five years since onset of the pandemic

River Falls, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin–River Falls is presenting “Witness,” a photography exhibition reflecting on the past five years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, through October 3 in Gallery 101 in Kleinpell Fine Arts, 420 E. Cascade Ave. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. A public reception will be held Friday, Sept. 19, from 4-6 p.m. 

“Witness” is co-curated by faculty members Brett Kallusky and Souzeina Mushtaq. The exhibition brings together members of FotoMatter, a Minnesota-based collective of artists working with photography, installation, book arts and time-based media, to reflect on the defining moments since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition invites audiences to consider photography as both a means of memory and testimony, recording the isolation of lockdowns, the resilience of communities and the global calls for racial justice.

“This show is about holding space for images that remind us of what we have lived through and what we continue to carry,” Kallusky said. “Photographs don’t just document events, they ask us to stay present with them.”

Inspired by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish's "Memory for Forgetfulness," the exhibition explores what it means to preserve truth and human experience in times of upheaval. Through images that speak to loss, endurance and renewal, “Witness” creates a shared space to observe, remember and carry these stories forward. Themes explored include life during the pandemic, acts of care and community, movements for justice and equity, visible disparities in health and opportunity and moments of hope, healing and transformation.

“Artists and storytellers help us see what might otherwise fade,” Mushtaq said. “‘Witness’ is about refusing to let these years slip quietly into the past. It is about remembering together.”

This marks the second collaboration between Kallusky and Mushtaq, who worked together on an exhibition titled “On the River” in fall 2024. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Brett Kallusky at brett.kallusky@uwrf.edu.