Microscope Gallery

Founded in 2010 by artists and curators Elle Burchill and Andrea Monti, Microscope Gallery has become a vital hub in New York’s experimental art scene. From its earliest days in Bushwick to its current space in Manhattan, the gallery has been devoted to artists who challenge conventional formats and push the boundaries of visual expression. Photography has been an essential part of this vision, serving as both a standalone art form and a means of exploring intersections between still and moving images.

Microscope Gallery approaches photography not as a static practice but as a living, evolving medium that dialogues with film, sound, performance, and digital art. Its exhibitions often feature works that rethink photographic perception—playing with duration, light, and narrative—to test how the image can move beyond documentation into immersive experience. This experimental outlook has made the gallery a reference point for contemporary photographers seeking to expand their practice into the realm of time-based and conceptual art.

Through its weekly series of screenings, performances, and lectures, Microscope fosters conversations around the shifting place of photography in the digital age. By blurring the lines between the white box and the black box—between the exhibition and the cinematic space—the gallery invites audiences to experience photography in new, dynamic ways. The program reflects a deep commitment to the artists’ intent, ensuring that each photographic work is presented within a context that enhances its conceptual and sensory power.

Microscope’s collaborations with leading institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and Centre Pompidou underscore its international reach and critical importance. Whether through its exhibitions or interdisciplinary events, the gallery continues to redefine how photography and time-based media are seen, discussed, and valued in the contemporary art landscape.