Corrupting the Image with Andie Riekstina
How Far Can You Push the Concept of Photography?
This workshop is designed to help you explore the boundaries of what a photograph can be. Departing from traditional representational image-making, this session, led by visual artist Andie Riekstina, will focus on photography as a mutable medium—one that can be bent, broken, corrupted, glitched, and recontextualized.
You will be challenged to rethink the nature of a photographic image and discover new ways of working with visual data. Through hands-on experiments with analog and digital tools, we will explore both making xerocopies, data bending files, and re-photographing physical prints over and over.
This workshop is about prioritizing the creative process over a predictable outcome. By actively questioning traditional notions of image-making, you will be empowered to discover new conceptual and visual possibilities within your own work.
How Far Can You Push the Concept of Photography?
This workshop is designed to help you explore the boundaries of what a photograph can be. Departing from traditional representational image-making, this session, led by visual artist Andie Riekstina, will focus on photography as a mutable medium—one that can be bent, broken, corrupted, glitched, and recontextualized.
You will be challenged to rethink the nature of a photographic image and discover new ways of working with visual data. Through hands-on experiments with analog and digital tools, we will explore both making xerocopies, data bending files, and re-photographing physical prints over and over.
This workshop is about prioritizing the creative process over a predictable outcome. By actively questioning traditional notions of image-making, you will be empowered to discover new conceptual and visual possibilities within your own work.
How Far Can You Push the Concept of Photography?
This workshop is designed to help you explore the boundaries of what a photograph can be. Departing from traditional representational image-making, this session, led by visual artist Andie Riekstina, will focus on photography as a mutable medium—one that can be bent, broken, corrupted, glitched, and recontextualized.
You will be challenged to rethink the nature of a photographic image and discover new ways of working with visual data. Through hands-on experiments with analog and digital tools, we will explore both making xerocopies, data bending files, and re-photographing physical prints over and over.
This workshop is about prioritizing the creative process over a predictable outcome. By actively questioning traditional notions of image-making, you will be empowered to discover new conceptual and visual possibilities within your own work.
Corrupting the Image with Andie Riekstina
Objectives and Benefits
Rethink the Photographic Medium: You will critically reflect on the nature of photographic truth and mutability of images, testing the limits of photography as both a mechanical reproduction and a raw, malleable data object.
Explore Experimental Techniques: You will learn and practice alternative methods, including data bending, digital degradation, and experimental analog processes, offering new approaches to your work.
Receive Personalized Guidance: You will get personalized feedback on your project and gain insight into your creative goals from an expert in the field of experimental image-making.
Target Participants
This workshop is ideal for a diverse group of creatives, including:
Artists interested in exploring experimental image-making.
Photographers seeking to expand beyond traditional methods of a capturing reality.
Students and creatives curious about data manipulation and the intersections of digital and analog art.
The class size is limited to 6-8 participants to ensure a hands-on, supportive, and engaging environment.
Language of Instruction
This workshop will be conducted in English only. Participants are welcome to use AI translation tools (such as Google Translate) to assist them with communication during the session.
Schedule
This workshop will be held during the Ephemere Photo Fest.
Date: Thursday, October 2nd, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The session is scheduled for six hours and includes a one-hour break, with an open-ended Q&A session at the conclusion. We kindly advise all participants to eat lunch or brunch before attending the workshop.
Workshop Fees
The workshop fee is $70 (or ¥10,000) per participant.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations made one month prior to the workshop date will receive a 50% refund.
Cancellations made less than one month prior to the workshop date are non-refundable.
Required Equipment & Materials
Each photographer will need to bring a smartphone and a computer for the workshop. A list of free, open-source software will be provided to participants closer to the workshop date. All other necessary materials will be provided by the mentor.
Workshop Flow
Pre-Workshop: One week before the workshop, participants will submit a project idea they wish to explore. Andie will review the submission and provide guidance on the trajectory of the project and the necessary tools.
During the Workshop: The session begins with an introduction to Andie’s practice and experimental methods. Participants will share their backgrounds before diving into a series of hands-on exercises, including data bending and digital degradation. The session concludes with informal presentations and a group discussion.
Post-Workshop: Participants will have the opportunity to present their works during the Ephemere Photo Fest. (Details to be finalized soon!)
About the Mentor: Andie Riekstina
Artistic Philosophy & Style: Andie Riekstina is a visual artist whose work spans analog, experimental, and digital photography and video. Her practice is defined by a strong foundation in contemporary photography and a desire to break the rules and push the limits. Her visual style is all about prioritizing the creative process over a predictable outcome.
Teaching & Professional Experience: Andie offers practical, hands-on guidance in a supportive environment, drawing from her experience giving workshops on experimental analog practices like large format photography and Polaroid emulsion lifting. Her work has been exhibited internationally and supported by artist residencies, including her current residency at Shangyuan Art Museum in Beijing.
Dedication to the Medium: As an artist who consistently questions traditional notions of image-making, Andie is committed to fostering a new generation of creatives. Her teaching practice is dedicated to helping participants explore photography as a dynamic and malleable medium, empowering them to discover their own unique experimental approaches.
Application Form
Contact Us
If you have any questions or need further information before submitting your application, please feel free to email us at anne@ephemere.tokyo.