West Chapter Conference Schedule

« back to conference schedule

Presence: The Shape of Chaos

Mia Zheng

Saturday, November 08 - 2:20PM to 2:40PM

This project showcases an exploration of how a large volume of photographs can be experienced within a confined space. The presentations of photographs reflect the artist's intuitive and emotionally layered process, where photographing is fast and immersive, yet deeply perceptive and decisive. The viewer's physical navigation through visual density parallels the psychological experience behind the lens: moving quickly, sensing deeply, and seeking moments of clarity within chaos.

Each installation space functions as a conceptual window, both metaphorically and literally constructed as "windows" within the works. They invite viewers to peer through layers of perception, highlighting how context shapes visual understanding and the emergence of presence.

By treating photographs as both images and objects, the project considers how space and place influence engagement with visual information. It raises questions about how meaning and presence emerge in environments that risk overwhelming the viewer, and how order can be shaped within apparent chaos.

Drawing from interdisciplinary influences including cinema, performance, and cross-cultural encounters, the work constructs presence through fragmentation. It investigates perception, stillness, and the emotional tensions between order and disorder by assembling ordinary objects, moments, and gestures into visual arrangements.

speaker

Mia Zheng

Email Sign Up

SPE email updates contain resources, news, and more!

About

• Board Reports, Letters, and Minutes
• History
• Staff
• Board Members
• Board Committees
• Board Elections
• SPE Code of Conduct
• Caucuses

Join

• Join Now
• Renew Membership
• Member Benefits
• SPE Partners

Members

• Member Portfolios
• Member News & Events
• Member Exhibitions
• Your Member Page

Annual Conference

• About the Conference
• Overview
• Speakers
• Schedule
• Registration
• Volunteer
• Sponsors
• Exhibit
• Anti-Harassment Policy

• Hotel & Travel
• Location + Travel
• Hotel

• Schedule of Events
• Schedule

• Past Conferences

News & Events

• News
• Events
• Exhibitions
• SPE Events

Chapters

• Mid-Atlantic
• Midwest
• Northeast
• Northwest
• South Central
• Southeast
• Southwest
• West

Exposure Journal

• View Current Issue
• Exposure Archive
• About Exposure Journal

Resources

• Newsletter
• Educational Offers
• FotoFika
• Photo School Directory
• Calls for Entry
• SPE Awards + Grants
• Job Listings
• Member Directory
• Video Library
• Teaching Tools
• Survey Results

Advertising

• Job Listings
• Mailing List
• Exposure Journal
• Annual Conference Program Guide

Support Us

• Make a Gift
• become a sponsor
• become an educational partner