“EUROPE – AMERICA, Hello – Good bye/ Good bye- Hello” was the title of the 7th Symposion of Photography held at the Forum Stadtpark in Graz. This issue of CAMERA AUSTRIA will conclude the publication of the lectures held on this occasion. The first part of their publication including contributions by Luigi Ghirri, Mark Holborn, Gosbert Adler, Wilmar Koenig and Christoph Scharff has been presented in the most recent issue, number 21, of CAMERA AUSTRIA.

At this point, in more than a year’s distance from the actual event, the various contributions, the published texts and pictures as well as the embracing theme of the Symposion can be fitter reflected upon and reconsidered and the discussion can be continued. This, at least, is our hope since the quality of the contributions by Robert Valtorta considering American influences on rent Italian photography, by Robert Frank with his very personal and independent attitude, by William Eggleston, and the informative contribution by Herbert Molderings on “The Influence of ‘Americanism’ on German Photography in the Twenties” may serve to refute some of the criticism raised in the final discussion which the reader wall also find published. Unfortunately we have not received Weston Naef’s contribution intend for publication, but the beginning of the tape recording of his lecture will at leaf give an impression.

We wish to thank the styrian autumn for the active involvement in the implementation of the Symposion of Photography. We take the absolute autonomy and liberty conceded to our work as proof of the confidence placed in us Last but not least we wish to express our thanks to the staff, the translators and the speakers at the Symposion: the amount of work going into a printer’s manuscript by far exceeds the preparation for a lecture and at times proves rather lengthy. We hope this publication will do justice to the quality of the individual work.

In the information part of this issue we announce the “Austian Day of Photography”, an opportunity to make our readers aware of the problematic situation of photography within the field of art and to invite ongoing discussion. The quality of the work produced in Austria during the past decade should encourage in politicians, officials and agencies involved in cultural politics and art sponsorships generosity and confidence toward the concerns of photographers.

Christine Frisinghelli, Manfred Willmann