Blog

The Impossible Corner Store Milan is looking forward to open a new exhibition by Massimiliano Muner. He will present a new series of photos. These “fractured Polaroids”, as the title suggests, express the concept of breaking. The fracture is intended in a double meaning: materic and spiritual. The photos in the readymade, done with instant films, are cut and reassembled, searching for a new space dimension. It also reminds of a psychological fracture, through an introspective journey, created by photographic compositions and messages written on the film.

Opening
Thursday, March 21st, 6 p.m.

On the technique
The “famous cut” created by Fontana, the genius of the compositions of Hockney and Galimberti: from the alchemy of these elements the idea of using the Polaroid in a new way was born. These ready-mades are a “decomposition and re-composition” of a work.
The works presented are reinterpretations of famous art works as well as brand new compositions.

Impossible at the Photo Show Milan 2011

• 
• 

The largest Italian fair for photography is just around the corner – the Photo Show Milan. And we are about to prepare a unique analog instant exhibition to be presented there at the Impossible booth from March 22-25. Submit your photo now for the chance to join this international group exhibition!

HOW TO SUBMIT

EUROPE ONLY Please note that due to pressure of time we can only accept submissions from photographers based in Europe.

MAX. 2 PHOTOS Upload max. 2 of your very best Impossible photos to our Gallery.
It’s essential that you tag your photo with Photo Show before submitting! Emulsion lifts and creative techniques are welcome!

SUBMISSION DEADLINE March 3, 2013

ORIGINAL PHOTOS You need to have easy access to your originals (winning photos will need to be recieved in our Vienna office by March 15th to be eligible for exhibition). We will return the originals to you after the show.

WINNERS will be informed personally via E-Mail and will be presented as official Impossible photographers, will have their name on our website and in all of our promotional material. Its a great opportunity to have your images exposed to the photographic community as an official Impossible exhibited artist!

by Giorgio Di Noto

• 
• 
• 
• 

In The Arab Revolt young Roman photographer Giorgio di Noto recounts the dramatic events of the Arab Spring.

Personal devices such as smart phones and camcorders and the distribution of these documentary photos via internet and social networks proved to be a major cause in the development of the event.

Giorgio Di Noto has recovered various materials from the internet and selected thirty images that he considered particularly significant and that he chose to shoot from screen using a Polaroid camera and Impossible Silver Shade film.

The reinterpretation of these images results in new image-objects with a specific texture and life of their own. The chemical unpredictability adds to the snapshot character and amplifies the surreal scenes composed by di Noto.

The Arab Revolt is not just an exhibition. It’s above all a story in pictures, intended to develop as an editorial project. Originally produced for the Dummy Award 2012 and produced in a limited edition on the occasion of the exhibition at s.t. photo gallery library, the series earned Giorgio Di Noto one of Italy’s most renowned prize for photography, the Premio Pesaresi 2012.

by James Matthew Carroll

A smashing opening party is awaiting visitors of the Project Space Vienna this coming Saturday!

Presenting the very first Transparencies ever created by Impossible photographers, dozens of Magnetic LED Frames will not only illuminate the unique analog instant artworks but also the whole space.

Visitors who join the exhibition opening on September 1 between 10am-6pm will not only be able to enjoy this shining view but they’ll also get 5% off on their purchase the the Project Space. See you there!

The Impossible Transparencies Exhibition @ the Impossible Project Space Vienna features work by Alan Marcheselli, Bernd F. Oehmen, Britta Hershman, Carmen Palermo, Cherry Collins, Frank Merath, Frederic Vinolas, Gian Guido Zurli, Hervé Benz, James Matthew Carroll, Jon Jekel, Li Ang, Luca Tommaso Cordoni, Lucile le Doze, Michael Collins, Mik Boitier, Monica Saviron, Noah Kolb, Stefano Tirelli, Susanne Melanie Berry and Teodora Stoica.

by David Levinthal

Until August 5 you still have the chance to see one of the most inspiring exhibitions on analog instant photography at NRW Forum Düsseldorf, Germany, accompanied by a small but beautiful Impossible Pop Up Shop.

The exhibition shows a representative profile of the recently saved, legendary, European part of the Polaroid Collection as well as fresh photographs taken on new Impossible film by artists such as David Levinthal or Nobuyoshi Araki.

Click for all details

Photo by Andrew Yang

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Once upon a time, horny boys, pornography dilettantes, sneaky voyeurs, slutty exhibitionists, and queers of all types were confined to instant photography to document their private activities and tastes in all things a little less than appropriate. As a part of the Queer New York International Arts Festival, East Village Boys is bringing together a few of their favorite artists to create new work specifically for an exhibition at the Impossible Project’s NYC Space.

• 
• 
• 
• 

To celebrate the recent opening of Traces of Time, the vibrant new exhibition to open on our South wall, photographers and fellow travelers Varial and Fabrice Nadjari will visit the NYC Space to talk about their experience shooting Impossible film in the remote deserts and villages of the Wakhan corridor, Afghanistan. Guests will have the opportunity to ask the artists about their shooting and survival techniques and hear the inside story on their adventure. If you haven’t had a chance to see this unique exhibition, Traces of Time will be showing in the NYC Space until June 1st.

While you prepare your burning questions for the artists, check out their story on The New York Times LENS blog or listen to their interview on NPR!

WHEN: THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
WHERE: Impossible Project Space NYC 425 Broadway, 5th Floor Between Howard & Canal Streets
RSVP: Email rsvp@theimpossibleproject.com or call +1 212 219 3254
FREE and open to the public!

• 
• 
• 

Parmaroid exhibition is composed by 19 analog instant images.. The author of the pictures is Roberto Cavalieri who has collected lots of experience with Polaroid and Impossible films after a long period of activity as a photoreporter in Africa, where he created photography books such as “Prima della libertà” – “Before freedom” (about the life in the prisons of five African countries and its overcrowded reality, non-existent justice, great injury of human right) and “Volti di guerra” – “War faces” (portraits of soldiers and war victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo).

The photo exhibition is to remember Parma, Roberto’s home town, using instant images, capturing left-in-time spaces.

Photo by Thom Jackson

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

For this installment of Artist in Residence, Thom Jackson shares his experience shooting with PX100 and PX70 for MOMENTUM, an exhibition currently on view on the North wall at The Impossible Project NYC Space. Interested in the instant image as a tangible object, Thom explains his struggle with lighting for an unknown emulsion, and giving in to the element of surprise:

“In my commercial work I shoot fashion and stills. I shoot digital everyday but use archival inkjet or platinum/palladium for my fine art work that I print myself. I appreciate that an Impossible print is something tangible you can touch, feel, and hold. In an age of endless digital copies it’s exciting to actually shoot something that is one of a kind…”

Photo by Brian Henry

• 
• 

MOMENTUM is currently on view at The Impossible Project NYC Space. This stunning exhibition of PX100 UV+ and PX70 materials includes some of the richest tones and sharpest contrast yet. For this installment of Artist in Residence, surrealist photographer Brian Henry has shared his experiences shooting these new batches of film, as well as his interpretation of the exhibition’s concept. Through a happy accident involving a faulty heater in a freezing basement and explorations in an abandoned hospital, Brian provides insight into his creative process and how unpredictable chance influenced the final images he submitted for MOMENTUM…

• 
• 
• 
• 

Ongoing Exhibition MOMENTUM
1st of March – 26th of June 2012
A 200 square foot show of our
best and brightest new films for the
SX-70 camera. PX-70 & PX 100 UV+
images by a group of our select US
photographers.

For more info please visit:
http://www.the-impossible-project.com/projects/exhibitions/momentum

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Last Thursday, The Impossible Project Space NYC celebrated the opening of its first ever group staff show WORK IN PROGRESS. The exhibition showcased work by our dedicated, creative and analog obsessed staff as well as how far Impossible has come since its very first test batches and beta films. Guests experienced the entire spectrum of Impossible materials produced within the last two years, while our staff captured the event on digital and PX100UV+ with the new Mint Flash Bar. Everyone enjoyed live vinyl music, refreshments and the company of friends and fellow enthusiasts.

Thank you to all who attended, and congratulations to the artists! WORK IN PROGRESS will be on display at the Impossible Project NYC Space during regular open hours: Monday through Friday 11am–7pm and on Weekends 12pm–5pm until May 8th. Don’t miss your chance to see it!

Kisha Bari

• 
• 
• 
• 

A large part of what makes Impossible so special is its dedicated, creative and analog obsessed staff. Many of our team have been on the Impossible journey since the very beginning – scrutinizing every version of dozens of production batches of film.

We’ve lived through countless test batches, damaged production runs and sometimes entirely unstable chemicals. Amongst light spots, chemical divots, killer crystals and shifting colors we have all come to fall in love with these challenging and distinctive materials.

The Impossible staff has seen the film grow up from its First Flush infancy into the stunning range of Silver and Color Shade films now available for three different Polaroid camera systems. With an intimate knowledge of these sometimes unpredictable materials, the Impossible staff members have become masters of the unknown.

WORK IN PROGRESS features Impossible images by of Kisha Bari, Dave Bias, Anne Bowerman, Jon Campolo, Michelle Casper, Andrew Chugg, Kyle Depew, Josie Keefe, Frank Love, Abigail Smithson, Wendy Strauss, Patrick Tobin and George Weiss.

Opening Reception
Thursday March 29, 2012. 6pm-9pm.
RSVP: rsvp@theimpossibleproject.com

Click for details

Photo by Patrick Tobin

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Just last week, The Impossible Project Space NYC celebrated the opening of MOMENTUM. The exhibition showcased just how far Impossible has come since starting production, highlighting new PX100 UV+ Silver Shade and PX70 Color Shade films. Attendees took in the many shades of new Impossible materials, while our very own Patrick Tobin captured the action on PX70 with the new Mint Flash Bar. Everyone enjoyed live vinyl music and the company of friends and enthusiasts.

As a special treat, Impossible staffer Josie Keefe has compiled a time lapse of MOMENTUM’s installation, to show how much hard work goes into our exhibitions in order make sure attendees are instantly gratified!

Thank you to all who attended, and congratulations to the artists. MOMENTUM will be on display at the Impossible Project NYC Space during regular open hours: Monday through Friday 11am–7pm and on Weekends 12pm–5pm until June 26th. Don’t miss your chance to see it!

Janina Fleckhaus

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

“Mirage” is the final project of Janina Fleckhaus for the University of Applied Science and Arts in Dortmund.

The images of this series reflect Janina’s longing for Cornwall, England, where she lived for six months: “I fell deeply in love with the nature that surrounded me. Back home everything looks sad and grey. I yearn for the images of my memory, where the grass is greener and the sea endless. This is a place where time does not matter. As if someone took a quick Polaroid of this precious moment. As soon as you press the button the moment becomes a memory. It is the past which is now closed, in a small photograph that can be held as an object in your hands. The Polaroid is your memory, and when time comes it will fade away like the memories of your childhood. I look to the far away horizon where the blue of the sea melts together with the sky, where boundaries are dissolving. Seeing this made me realize that the concept of home is not just the place where I grew up. It is the new world that became my home. The longer I turn my gaze away the more I long for this place. I left my heart in the nature of Cornwall and all that is left are the colorful pastel images of my memories.”

Exhibition
In her romantic instant images of desire, time seems suspended and the border between reality and dream disappears. Surrounded...Read All

• 
• 
• 

Just last night, we celebrated the opening reception of MOMENTUM at The Impossible Project NYC Space. To commemorate the event, we’re excited to begin a new series to the Impossible Blog, Artist in Residence! Every so often, we’ll feature an artist currently showcased in an exhibition in the NYC Space, delving deeper into their interpretation of the theme of the show and how they went about making the images included. This installment features the dreamy filter techniques of Clay Lipsky, who was kind enough to explain his techniques and experiences with the new PX70 Color Shade:

“When the Impossible Project invited me to shoot my interpretation of  “Momentum” I thought of a place full of life & movement…the beach. Having spent most of my life in Florida and California, beach culture is very close to my heart. I was inspired to capture the sunny spirit and frenetic energy set amongst the iconic palm trees and sea gulls. Additionally I wanted to do it in a style reminiscent of the classic poster art from “The Endless Summer.” The latest incarnation of Impossible’s PX 70 Color Shade was very stable and provided consistent exposures, so I decided to push it by utilizing colored filters to tint my exposures and make my images as graphic as possible…”

Gary Baseman

• 
• 
• 
• 

POLAROID and IMPOSSIBLE present
INSTANT REVOLUTION

To celebrate the collaboration between Polaroid and Impossible, The Impossible Project NYC Space will host a very special group exhibition dedicated to showcasing five of the world’s freshest contemporary photographers. For more than 60 years, the instant image has been a revolutionary aspect of how artists create, consider and define analog photography. The five artists featured in INSTANT REVOLUTION all take different approaches to illustrating their relationship with analog photography.

Featuring photos captured with the last original Polaroid Spectra film production run from 2008, one of the first products introduced as part of the Polaroid Classic line, five of the world’s most dynamic and contemporary artists have contributed to INSTANT REVOLUTION: Gary Baseman, James Franco, Maripol, Mary Ellen Mark and Jennifer Juniper Stratford. INSTANT REVOLUTION will be shown at The Impossible Project Space NYC from February 9 to March 23 2012 and on our official website. The Opening Reception will take place on February 9 from 6pm to 9pm, in the presence of the artists and with refreshments provided.

POLAROID and IMPOSSIBLE present
INSTANT REVOLUTION
at The Impossible Project Space NYC

• 
• 
• 

This past Thursday, we were so grateful to celebrate the opening of Oskar Landi’s Also in India exhibition at the NYC Space! With his debut show at Impossible, Landi portrays the country through dry image transfers of original Type 679 Polaroid film, revealing imperfections and faint colors reminiscent of early photographic processes and hand coloring techniques. Attendees took in the many textures of India as portrayed by the artist and enjoyed delicious artisan chocolate from FINE & RAW!

Those wishing to see the exhibition may visit the Impossible NYC Space any time during store hours: Monday through Friday 11am–7pm and on Weekends 12pm–5pm until February 9th. Thanks so much (and congratulations!) to Oskar and everyone who attended!

• 
• 
• 
• 

Photobooth, the world’s only Tintype and Polaroid portrait studio, exhibited our good friend and fellow Impossible photographer Brandon Long last Friday, January 6th, and Brandon has been kind enough to share a sneak peek of his SX-70 shots with those of us that couldn’t be in San Francisco!

See more of Brandon Long’s dreamy portraits on his flickr!

Amassing four separate worldwide journeys over the past decade, Oskar Landi translates multiple communities of India with a unique visual language, when discovery through spoken word was insufficient. Landi was born and raised in Italy and has lived and worked in New York since 1998. His personal projects have been recognized by the International Photo Awards and Prix de la Photographie Paris as well as numerous publications worldwide.

On Thursday, January 12th, Oskar Landi’s “Also in India” opens on the south wall at The Impossible Project Space NYC. With “Also in India,” Landi portrays the country through dry image transfers of original Type 679 Polaroid film, revealing imperfections and faint colors reminiscent of early photographic processes and hand coloring techniques. Conditions such as uncontrollable humidity, heat, dust and expired photographic chemicals caused unexpected but enchanting consequences even for the artist. The resulting exhibition is a visual introduction to the rich cultures of India dependent on Landi’s astounded curiosity.

Oskar Landi – Also in India
At The Impossible Project Space NYC
January 12, 2012 – February 9, 2012

More after the jump…

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

On Thursday, December 15th, Impossible’s NYC Space hosted an opening event for an exhibition featuring instant artworks by Claire Oring and Foster Huntington. The exhibition celebrates the collaboration between Impossible and Urban Outfitters, long a supporter of Impossible’s mission.

The turnout was fantastic, with guests admiring the photographs on display and enjoying drinks. We also shot plenty of photos ourselves, both digital and Impossible images taken with the new PX 100 UV+ film!

The Urban Outfitters x Impossible Project exhibition will be on display through January 11th, 2012. Please come by the NYC Space to see the art, and be sure to visit your local Urban Outfitters store, where you can now find Impossible film and select camera kits for sale!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Last Thursday, The Impossible Project NYC Space held an opening for LIPS, a new solo exhibition by the talented Chloe Aftel. Trained as a filmmaker, Chloe’s background reveals itself in the series as she creates a micro narrative through her studied close up portraits of 10 different woman’s mouths. Executing the luscious series on The Impossible Project’s PX 70 PUSH! film, she shows the versatility and subtle tones of one of our earliest color films.

Ms. Aftel was available throughout the duration of the opening to talk about her work and answer questions. Friends of Chloe and Impossible came together to celebrate the exhibit, drink wine and take in the brilliant new work gracing the South Wall of the Impossible NYC Space.

LIPS will be on display in the New York Project space until December 13th.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Last Thursday night, September 29th, marked the opening of our new exhibition at the NYC Impossible Project Space. Several of the submitting artists, including Rommel Pecson, Dustin Yager, Toby Hancock and Brandon Long were present, as were numerous friends and Impossible supporters. Check out our images taken that night, and be sure to stop by the gallery to see the exhibition if you’re in New York City!

When Impossible embarked on its mission to save analog instant photography from extinction, people worldwide thought they’d said farewell to their beloved film and cameras. Thinking “outside the lines,” using new, innovative solutions and materials, Impossible was able to successfully create new instant film.

The Impossible Project challenged 14 outstanding photographers to create images on PX 680 FF Color Shade film expressing their personal interpretation of the phrase, “Outside The Lines”.

The photographers include Adam Goldberg, John Reuter, Brandon Long, Dustin Yager, Chloe Aftel, Andrea Jenkins, Sol Allen, Max Wanger, Benjamin Shuster, Parker Fitzgerald, Rommel Pecson, Toby Hancock, Ritchard Ton and Leah Reich.

Their breathtaking results will be on display at the Impossible Project Space NYC from September 29th, 2011 through January 31st, 2012 at the Impossible Project Space NYC – 425 Broadway, 5th Floor

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Last night, Impossible and the Ace Hotel kicked off their collaboration with an exhibition opening party at the hotel. Participating artists and the Impossible US team, along with many friends, were in attendance. People mingled, cameras flashed and tangible memories developed, all set to a soundtrack provided by DJ Huggy Bear.

The exhibition will be up through October 14th, so make sure you drop by to take in these beautiful photos that are a testament to the fact that analog is alive and well.

To purchase the special, limited edition Ace Hotel Camera Kit, please CLICK HERE

Continuing the series of Impossible Art Works featured on the South Wall at the New York City Impossible Project Space, we are proud to present French born photographer Bruce Soyez-Bernard and his latest work, entitled “Ensemble #1, #2, #3, #4.”

Currently based in New York, Bruce began as a photojournalist in Africa for two years before transitioning into Beauty and Fashion photography in Paris and New York for prestigious clients such as Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan and Schwarzkopf.

These four composite pieces, called “Ensemble,” are a continuation of Soyez-Bernard’s photographic work on the body. Finding inspiration in shapes, skin texture, color and light. Taking several images with different crops and levels, the frames are then re-united, the body put back together, or part of the body, as a final collage.

While using The Impossible Project’s film range, Bruce pursues this process with a focus on the film grain, format and the “happy accidents” of this specific instant medium to create impressive life-size abstract pieces.

More after the jump…

Winter Blossoms (Empty Vessel), 2011, Patrick Winfield

The Impossible Project Space NYC is incredibly excited to welcome our long-time collaborator, Patrick Winfield, for his very first solo show on our South Wall. This exhibition is free and open to the public and features Patrick’s composite images created from many individual instant photographs on Impossible and Polaroid films.

Patrick is a Brooklyn-based artist whose work is about accidents and how these flaws become a form of perfection. “I may jam or manipulate the films to play up the surface, the tangibility of the film medium. I create a moment out of several various instances – a walking perspective controlled and pulled in by the structure of the grid, not an instant view, but a clustering of memories and visuals. Each photo is competing with the image as a whole, causing this movement of the eye as it takes in a single image then back to the whole.”

Patrick’s work has been featured in an array of arts and design magazines and blogs and you may have recently seen his work at Urban Outfitters – the result of a 2010 collaboration.

*Here are all of the pertinent exhibition details:
Patrick Winfield Composites
August 4 – September 15, 2011
Opening Reception: Thursday, August 4, 6-9pm*
RSVP: nycspace@theimpossibleproject.com

Download the Exhibition Flyer Here

The Next Movement is a unique collaborative project between The Impossible Project and Sol Exposure.

We are pleased to announce an exciting exhibit opening. Our friends at The Artful Dodger‎ are showcasing the beautiful products of instant analog photography.

On display will be works from artists: Angela Albanese, Wade Vanover, Jeremiah Jenkins, Allie Toro, Tim Estep, April Sedeen, Mike Keane, Chris Whitmore, Dave Lafy, Annie Cantrell, Lara Mack, Ella Somers, Andrew Jenner, and Rachel Jenner.

If you are in the Virginia area stop by and check out this lovely showcase of instant film.

Time lapse footage of the installation of our new exhibit ‘Facing the Impossible’. Shot on December 15th 2010 at the Impossible New York Space. Featuring the song Pink Frost by The Chills.

Its been a long journey, but with the help of our dedicated customers and supporters, we’re on the path to reinstating the instant film.

Join us for the opening reception of our new exhibit, “Facing the Impossible”. The exhibit will open this Wednesday, December 15 from 6-9 pm at our NYC project space. The exhibit will display 31 original portraits shot by some of our favorite photographers; Adam Goldberg, Adarsha Benjamin, Chloe Aftel, Irène Nam, Jen Altman, Lou O’Bedlam, Mikael Kennedy, Patrick Winfield, Rommel Pecson, The Gentlemen Amateur, Thibault Tourmente and Tim Mantoani. Come to the space and check out these stunning enlargements of our historic integral films.