kiji Ariella Azoulay’s “The Civil Contract of Photography”: The Image as an Ethical Summons
Ariella Aïsha Azoulay's The Civil Contract of Photography reframes photography as a political-ethical relationship. This analysis breaks down its 4 core concepts: 1) The "photographic event" (photographer, subject, spectator); 2) The "civil contract" that demands a response from the viewer; 3) The "civil gaze" as a counter-sovereign act that crosses borders; 4) The shift from aesthetic judgment to "rebuttable political judgment." It turns viewing into a call for civic responsibility.