Masterclass med Michael Christopher Brown på MIRAGE Film Festival

October 11 2023

Join us for a master class in collaboration with Norwegian Journal of Photography and Mirage featuring star photographer Michael Christopher Brown, where he will let us in on his latest AI projects and share the thoughts behind them. He will talk about how he works with AI technology, and the challenges it poses for photographers and the industry. This is a unique opportunity to hear from an expert and gain insights into the future of photography and technology

Friday, 13 October 2023, 7.30 p.m. – 9.00 p.m.
Vega Scene 1, Oslo

After Browns presentation, a conversation between Brown and the audience will be led by NJP editor and curator Laara Matsen.

Michael Christopher Brown’s work utilizes the iconography of photojournalism to amplify stories using unconventional techniques. From combining the multimedia applications of the iPhone in documenting the 2011 Libyan Revolution for the book and film Libyan Sugar, to using text prompts gathered from on-the-ground research in generating imagery for the 2023 AI series 90 Miles.

90 Miles represents a post-photography AI reporting illustration experiment that utilizes photographic-looking imagery to explore historical events and the realities of Cuban life. These realities have motivated Cubans to cross the 90 miles of ocean separating Havana from Florida. In the AI series Skagit Valley, they examine potential past and futures of nuclear, climate, renewable technologies, and machines as connected to agriculture.

Editorials have long used reportage illustrations to illuminate stories in fresh ways. As anyone may now collaborate with the collective history of photography to illustrate the photographed world and create a story or vision of what was, is, or can be, AI may play a crucial role in enhanced identification with storytelling and, by extension, humanity.

Tickets available here.

Below photos from Browns 90 miles post-photography, A.I. reportage illustration experiment. For details concerning the images, see airlab.co

News

Mykhailo Tkach

Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, Russian and Belarusian journalists and media to receive five Free Media Awards for 2026

September 3 2026

This year’s prize laureates for the Free Media Awards from the Fritt Ord Foundation and Zeit Stiftung Bucerius are:
The investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach from Ukraine
The investigative media outlet iFact from Georgia
The online media Factor TV from Armenia
The online media Verstka from Russia (in exile)
The journalist and media director Andrei Aliaksandrau from Belarus (imprisoned)

Fritt Ord's grants for master’s degrees

August 30 2026

Is your master’s project about freedom of expression, social debate or journalism? If so, you can apply for a student grant from the Fritt Ord Foundation.

The Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute 2026

August 18 2026

The rap duo Karpe has been awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute for giving voice to the experiences of many young people from minority backgrounds. Through the language of rap, they are expanding the space for the expression of identity and belonging.

The 2025/26 Monitor survey

June 17 2026

The Fritt Ord Foundation and the Institute for Social Research (ISF) invite you to the launch of a report and a subsequent discussion on Monday, 8 June 2026, from 9.00 to 11.00 am, at Fritt Ord’s premises at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo.

Where do people draw the line when it comes to freedom of expression, and what do they believe to be the greatest threats to an informed debate at a time characterised by unrest, crises and international conflicts? Do they feel there is sufficient diversity of opinion and enough room for divergent viewpoints? And how do people assess access to truthful and relevant information in a media landscape featuring new formats, new voices and artificial intelligence?