Photography as an allegorical medium in the context of the visual arts

Abstract

This article reflects on the possibility of photography to work as an allegorical medium in the context of the contemporary visual arts. Initially, it is discussed the importance of the concept of the romantic fragment in the formulation of Walter Benjamin´s theory of allegory. Afterwards, recent debates on allegory are considered, which are based on Benjamin´s approach, investigating the production of some contemporary artists who use photography. The relation between site and non-site by Robert Smithson is examined, and within the perspective given by these concepts, one may conclude that it is possible to conceive the photography of documentation of ephemeral actions and interventions as an allegorical medium. The artworks approached are those by Robert Smithson, Richard Long, Hamish Fulton and asikainen&macedo.