About The Show

The Photographers' Gallery has launched its new digital programme with Born in 1987: The Animated GIF, an exhibition devoted to this overlooked image format native to the web and the computer screen. The exhibition features over 40 GIF images by practitioners from a range of creative disciplines. For many, this was their first opportunity to experiment with the medium. The resulting GIFs range from the graphic to the photographic, the subtle to the psychedelic, and demonstrate a wide diversity of approaches which respond to the GIF's particular history and aesthetic qualities. The GIFs on this website are also viewable on The Wall, a 2.7 x 3m Sharp Video Wall located on the ground floor of our gallery in Ramillies Street, London. From 17th June, these works will be joined by a rotating selection of submissions from the public. Instructions on how to contribute can be found here. More information and images of The Wall can be found here.

The Gif Makers

the installation

The Wall consists of a 2.7 x 3m Sharp video wall, situated on the ground floor of The Photographers’ Gallery, London accessible to everyone visiting the building and those passing by on the street. The Wall forms part of a research programme which aims to address the multiple contexts of the digital image, its dissemination and display on-screen and will include experimental commissions, collaborations and participation.

The Wall is co-ordinated by Katrina Sluis, Curator (Digital Programme).

To read more about The Wall, you can view Wendy McMurdo’s article at Foam.

The Wall: View from Reception towards the cafe. © Dennis Gilbert

The Wall: View from the cafe towards reception. © Dennis Gilbert

The Wall: View from Ramillies St, London. © Dennis Gilbert