Portrait photography: Torben Eskerod in conversation with Charlotte Præstegaard Schwartz

Torben Eskerod is widely known for his work with one of the oldest genres in the history of photography: the portrait. Today, we can all take a portrait of ourselves and each other with a quick click on the mobile phone. But what does the portrait really tell us about us humans? Eskerod has photographed everything from the Queen to death masks, and for him the portrait is a way into subjects such as memory and spirituality.

The talk originates from the Royal Danish Library's permanent photo exhibition The Camera and Us, and especially the room 'Portrait for the many - Strike a pose'.

Participants:

Torben Eskerod

Torben Eskerod (b. 1960) graduated from Aalborg University (1980-1986) and studied at Aarhus School of Architecture and Fatamorgana School of Photography in Copenhagen (1988-1991). Eskerod's projects find common ground in his interest in contemplation and spirituality and is known for his portraits in series such as Equivalence, Cassadaga, Register - Life and Death Masks and Campo Verano.

Charlotte Præstegaard Schwartz

Charlotte Præstegaard Schwartz is a photography curator and research librarian with responsibility for the National Collection of Photography at the Royal Danish Library. She has a master's degree and PhD in art history with a focus on art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Charlotte Præstegaard Schwartz specialises in photography and photography history.