Photography by Andre D. Wagner
The idea for Furmaan Ahmed’s latest Google Pixel’s Creator Labs project came to them when they came across two circus prop dolphins. “Myself and my collaborator Isabella decided to drive these out to our nearest viaduct in the middle of the night to photograph them by Ouse Valley Viaduct [in Sussex, England], which has historically used to carry water from rivers into cities,” they say. “There was something quite miserable about these dolphins in that field looking for their way back to water.” From there, Ahmed’s series, The Memory Palace II, unravelled as an exploration of what lies beneath when you erase history and cultures – the unspoken but glamorous resistance that remains.
Last month, Creator Labs returned for its ninth season, including the work of photographers Campbell Addy, Myles Loftin, Kennedi Carter, Mayan Toledano, Gabriel Moses and more. The incubator, a partnership between Google and SN37, helps rising artists create new work about important cultural narratives and social causes. The past season was their biggest yet, featuring 31 global artists and touching on an array of topics – community, identity, connection, intimacy and more. For photographers like Andre Wagner, it‘s been a deeply personal journey. After over a decade of making images of his community, Wagner‘s series documented his journey of self-discovery. “In recent years, l‘ve been diving deeper into my own interior world and psychology,” he says. "Focusing the lens and gaze on myself.”
Ahead, nine Creator Labs photographers reflect on 2024 in pictures and share their predictions, hopes and fears for the year ahead.
