“Perpetual Revolution examines the relation between the overwhelming image world that confronts us, and the volatile, provocative, and often-violent world it mirrors. The exhibition proposes that an ongoing revolution is taking place politically, socially, and technologically, and that new digital methods of image production, display, and distribution are simultaneously both reporting and producing social change. The epic social and political transformations of the last few years would not have happened with the speed and in such depth if it wasn’t for this revolution. ICP’s ambitious exhibition presents five of these critical issues transformed by visual culture—#BlackLivesMatter, gender fluidity, climate change, terrorist propaganda, and the refugee crisis.” — ICP

James Balog, Chasing Ice, 2012. Video © 2016 Chasing Inc, LLC

James Balog, Chasing Ice, 2012.Video © 2016 Chasing Inc, LLC

Rachel Schragis, Confronting the Climate: A Flowchart of the People’s Climate March, 2014–16. Mixed media collage, 3 x 12 feet © Rachel Schragis

Rachel Schragis, Confronting the Climate: A Flowchart of the People’s Climate March, 2014–16. Mixed media collage, 3 x 12 feet © Rachel Schragis

Sheila Pree Bright, #1960Now: Art + Intersection [still], 2015. Video © Sheila Pree Bright

Sheila Pree Bright, #1960Now: Art + Intersection [still], 2015. Video © Sheila Pree Bright

Sheila Pree Bright, #1960Now: Art + Intersection [still], 2015. Video © Sheila Pree Bright

Sergey Ponomarev, [Refugees arrive by a Turkish boat near the village of Skala, on the Greek Island of Lesbos], November 16, 2015. Digital image, 9 monitors. Original photograph © Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

Perpetual Revolution: The Image and Social Change is the first of three 2017 ICP exhibitions exploring the impact of photography and visual culture on society.

Perpetual Revolution was organized by ICP Curators Carol Squiers and Cynthia Young, and adjunct curators Joanna Lehan and Kalia Brooks. Images courtesy ICP.