Photography as Experiment: Pia Kintrup on Pushing the Boundaries of the Medium

For Pia Kintrup, photography is more than a means of documentation—it’s a tool for exploration. Blurring the lines between photography, installation, and conceptual art, her work interrogates themes of control, value, and surveillance while constructing symbolic spaces that exist beyond physical reality.

In this conversation with Cluster London, Kintrup reflects on the evolving role of photography, the power of artistic ambiguity, and how audience interpretation shapes her practice.

Hi Pia! You describe yourself as a visual artist rather than a photographer. Can you tell us more about how you differentiate between the two, and how this distinction influences your creative process?

While photography is central to my practice, I see it more as one medium among many that I use to explore ideas, rather than as my sole or defining identity. For me, being a visual artist means having the freedom to move beyond the traditional boundaries of photography. I’m not confined to the technical or representational aspects of the medium. Instead, I approach it conceptually, questioning what photography can be and how it interacts with other disciplines.

This distinction influences my process significantly. For example, I don’t think of my work as capturing or documenting reality. Instead, I use photography as a tool to construct, deconstruct, and explore ideas. I often combine it with other techniques, like installation, or found materials, and allow for experimentation and accidents to play a role. This openness enables me to address broader themes and create works that are more ambiguous and layered—works that invite viewers to interpret and engage rather than passively consume. Photography is a starting point, but the process goes far beyond it.

Your series aims to create "a symbolic place of imagination". What inspires you to delve into these conceptual worlds, and how do you choose themes like control, value, and surveillance to represent them?

This series stems from my fascination with the invisible and abstract forces shaping our world—systems like control, value, and surveillance. I’m drawn to creating spaces that exist outside of physical reality, where imagination takes over. These themes intrigue me because they are pervasive yet intangible, constantly influencing our lives but often unnoticed. I explore them through a conceptual approach, where my works encourage reflection on the structures governing our perceptions and behaviours. It’s about questioning the seen and the unseen in our shared experience.

Many emerging artists struggle to find community and visibility. How do you navigate building connections and staying engaged within the art community?

Building connections requires active participation in the art community—attending exhibitions, collaborating with peers, and engaging in conversations. Staying curious and open helps me continuously connect and grow within the art world.