Lois Bielefeld's Chosen Family
My contribution to the Wisconsin Triennial
I have long thought it would be fun to produce a photography podcast, but haven't gotten around to it for various reasons. I’m not sure the world needs another podcast, but I like talking about pictures, so maybe someday. Listening is a different experience from reading, often richer and more engaging. And I’m intrigued by the combination of looking and listening. I want to experiment with audio here on FlakPhoto.
All that to say, I was delighted when the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art invited me to contribute a recorded response to a work in the 2025 Wisconsin Triennial. My assignment was simple: spend a few minutes reacting to a photograph by Lois Bielefeld. Do you know Lois’ work? They have been steadily creating images focused on family, home, and queer community, and I was thrilled to see them on the shortlist when the museum announced the Triennial artists in January.
I’ve never done this before, so I approached my recording as I do my newsletter: shooting from the hip and improvising. My response is slightly clunky, but it’s not bad for a maiden voyage. What can I say? I’m new to riffing spontaneously aloud like this! Still, I enjoyed talking about this picture and thought some of you would appreciate it.
You can learn more about Lois on the Wisconsin Triennial website. This year’s exhibition features a terrific group of artists, many of whom are new to me. You might listen while looking closely at Lois’ photograph at the top of my post. Doing this on a laptop, tablet, or something bigger than your phone will look best.
Should I record more audio features like this? Let me know what you think!
About the photographer
Lois Bielefeld is a queer series-based artist working in photography, audio, video, and performance. Working in large-scale serial works, their work continually asks what links routine and ritual to the formation of identity, personhood, and the development of meaning-making. Lois lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Every three years, the Wisconsin Triennial showcases the latest art produced throughout the state, highlighting Wisconsin's richness and diversity of artistic expression. The 2025 Wisconsin Triennial is on view at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, Wisconsin, through September 14, 2025.
What a thought provoking image, rich with art history references yet very modern and quietly provocative.
I think your vocal critique is on the money Andy. Concise, thorough, nice pacing, and just the right length. I would love to hear more of this from you.
Thank you for posting this and would love to see more like it. Fascinating, especially for this particular photograph and all the context. And yes, love the podcast-like format. You do a great job!