September 14, 2026
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University, is pleased to announce the selection of Stephanie Syjuco as the 2026 Robert Gardner Fellow in Photography following an international search. The fellowship provides a $50,000 stipend to support a proposed project culminating the publication of a book.
Born in the Philippines (1974) and based in Oakland, California, Stephanie Syjuco is an artist and Professor in Art Practice at the University of California, Berkeley. During her non-residential fellowship, she will develop Inherent Vice (Deeper Cuts), a multimedia project examining the preservation of Philippine cultural heritage and the political histories embedded in archives.
Known for innovative installations that merge photography and installation, Syjuco will photograph conservation efforts in Philippine cultural institutions and juxtapose those images with materials from the archive of The Manila Chronicle, a prominent newspaper shuttered in 1972 when President Ferdinand E. Marcos declared martial law. Its vast collection of photojournalistic prints is now widely known as the "photo morgue."
The title Inherent Vice draws on both politics and conservation. Syjuco describes it as referring to political systems in the Philippines modeled on U.S. democratic ideals compromised by colonial contradictions. In conservation, the term refers to an intrinsic condition that causes materials to deteriorate over time. Together, these meanings frame the project as an exploration of political and historical decay, as well as the labor required to preserve cultural heritage and collective memory.
Reflecting growing efforts to preserve cultural heritage within the Philippines, Syjuco’s Gardner Fellowship project includes what she describes as “a photographic deep dive” into an array of conservation labs in Metro Manila. These institutions are engaged in the critical work of preserving historical materials and cultural memory. “The heritage objects at stake span centuries, and their stewardship by conservation labs in the Philippines is a critical practice in post-colonial cultural self-determination,” said Syjuco. She notes that these efforts face significant challenges, including limited funding and equipment, as well as the effects of climate change in a tropical environment prone to monsoons and flooding.
“Stephanie Syjuco’s efforts to critically engage archives and reinterpret history closely align with the Peabody Museum’s commitment to confronting the legacies of colonialism,” said Jane Pickering, William & Muriel Seabury Howells Director of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. “Her focus on conservation as a means of restoring cultural history is especially compelling.”
As Syjuco explains, the subtitle Deeper Cuts refers to “cutting deeper into a historical past to uncover what might still be relevant for today.” She describes the project as “part documentary, part poetic visual exploration of material textures and political history,” one that speaks to audiences in the Philippines and beyond at a moment when governments around the world are increasingly attempting to distort history and evade accountability. Ultimately, the project asks: “How do we actively repair the damage that has been done, while strengthening our shared resources for the future?”
Reflecting growing efforts to preserve cultural heritage within the Philippines, Syjuco’s Gardner Fellowship project includes what she describes as “a photographic deep dive” into an array of conservation labs in Metro Manila. These institutions are engaged in the critical work of preserving historical materials and cultural memory. “The heritage objects at stake span centuries, and their stewardship by conservation labs in the Philippines is a critical practice in post-colonial cultural self-determination,” said Syjuco. She notes that these efforts face significant challenges, including limited funding and equipment, as well as the effects of climate change in a tropical environment prone to monsoons and flooding.
“Stephanie Syjuco’s efforts to critically engage archives and reinterpret history closely align with the Peabody Museum’s commitment to confronting the legacies of colonialism,” said Jane Pickering, William & Muriel Seabury Howells Director of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. “Her focus on conservation as a means of restoring cultural history is especially compelling.”
As Syjuco explains, the subtitle Deeper Cuts refers to “cutting deeper into a historical past to uncover what might still be relevant for today.” She describes the project as “part documentary, part poetic visual exploration of material textures and political history,” one that speaks to audiences in the Philippines and beyond at a moment when governments around the world are increasingly attempting to distort history and evade accountability. Ultimately, the project asks: “How do we actively repair the damage that has been done, while strengthening our shared resources for the future?”
“Syjuco’s work is as visually striking as it is intellectually rigorous and politically engaged,” said Ilisa Barbash, Curator of Visual Anthropology at the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. “She juxtaposes images, handcrafted textiles, and found objects to generate new meanings through unexpected combinations. Transforming photographs and text into three-dimensional forms, she creates works that range from intimate framed collages to immersive installations. Through acts of revelation and concealment—whether highlighting overlooked archival details or obscuring key elements of ethnographic images—she encourages viewers to question how history is constructed, mediated, and presented.”
“When filmmaker Robert Gardner endowed this fellowship to support photographers documenting, ‘the human condition anywhere in the world,’ he presciently set parameters broad enough to support an extraordinary range of innovative photographic projects,” said Pickering. “We are grateful to Robert Gardner and Adele Pressman, the anonymous selection committee, our nominators, and the exceptional artists who have contributed to the success and prestige of this program.”
“When filmmaker Robert Gardner endowed this fellowship to support photographers documenting, ‘the human condition anywhere in the world,’ he presciently set parameters broad enough to support an extraordinary range of innovative photographic projects,” said Pickering. “We are grateful to Robert Gardner and Adele Pressman, the anonymous selection committee, our nominators, and the exceptional artists who have contributed to the success and prestige of this program.”
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology