Festival Zone
Welcome to Festival Zone for late May 2014. One week to go until we kick off this year's Festival officially. Feedback from you has been overwhelmingly supportive through our recent setback and so thank you to all of you who gave us offers of help. The good news is the Festival has a momentum building and is on course for next week's launch, and yes it's still FREE.
Wayne Quilliam's Laura work on show at Talking Culture - Auckland Festival of Photography 2014
Talking Culture Symposium 31st May - Free
Come along to hear some great presentations from noted local and international photographers. Auckland Art Gallery Auditorium plays host to Chris Rainier, Wayne Quilliam, Qiane Matata-Sipu and Ans Westra, who are all discussing areas of their practice as documentation of cultural knowledge & memory.
Chris is our keynote presenter and is part of the annual Talking Culture Symposium which will focus on the use of photography and new technologies to document, preserve and empower indigenous cultures over the opening weekend of the 2014 Festival. He lectures and teaches seminars & workshops throughout the world on using modern technology to preserve ancient cultural traditions.
Rainier has completed photographic projects for the United Nations, UNESCO, Amnesty International, Conservation International, the Smithsonian Institution, Time Magazine, the New York Times, LIFE Magazine, and the National Geographic Society.Rainier has photographed global culture , conflict, famine, and war in such places as: Somalia, Sarajevo/Bosnia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Iraq for TIME Magazine, - and for NPR Radio.
Alongside Rainier, is the wonderful Wayne Quiilliam, discusses how the global phenomenon of image sharing has opened our eyes and minds towards the richness of culture and all it embodies but has also had a negative effect with derogatory social profiling and stereotyping. Wayne Quilliam will share his knowledge and experiences as one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal photographers working on the international stage.
Rounding out the great line up for the Symposium are Maori photographer, Qiane Matata-Sipu and a NZ icon of photography, Ans Westra. This is a one off opportunity to hear all the stories behind the images of these four esteemed artists. Not to be missed! Free from 1045am.
Qiane Matata-Sipu - IHUMATAO
Sunday 1st June, 1pm: Geoffrey Batchen: Remembering Photography Looking at both nineteenth century and more contemporary examples. Followed at 3pm: Auckland based artist Fiona Amundsen discusses the development of her recent photographic and moving-image project The Imperial Body. More details on both these talks here.
We have a double pass giveway for My Country; Contemporary Art From Black Australia exhibition currently on at Auckland Art Gallery. Details about how to win at the end of this newsletter. Check this great exhibition out and take part in the Festival's Talking Culture Symposium and Sunday Series at Auckland Art Gallery. On 15th June at 3pm hear Ron Brownson's talk with your complimentary double pass. Read more below.
Talking Culture Symposium and series is sponsored by HP, our technology partner.
Our Portfolio Reviews at Auckland Museum have just 12 sessions left to book, all the reviewer sessions are booking quickly so try to be in touch soon for your FREE Portfolio Review, supported by HP. New presentations by Wayne Quilliam and Chris Rainier at 1pm and 3pm on 2 June, Auckland Musuem.
Signature exhibitions
Signature exhibitions starting this week ahead of the Festival: Shigeyuki Kihara at Corbans Arts Center from 23 May. From Saturday 24 May is McNamara Gallery Photography Exhibition at the Depot, Devonport. Plus one of the major Festival highlights is Photoforum; History in the Taking, a 40th year celebration at the Gus Fisher Gallery including a book launch and series of talks.
Another show that starts on 30 May at the Gus Fisher is Grills by Ane Tonga, whose work looks at body adornment in the Pacific.Festival programmes can be downloaded or viewed on our website or we have printed copies available at our office in Parnell. Email info.photo.festival@xtra.co.nz if you need some.
Festival Tuesday - 3rd June 6 - 9pm Free
And don't forget our original concept evening circuit of exhibition openings, Festival Tuesday on 3rd June from 6pm til 9pm. Full details here of more than a dozen shows to zip around and again it's all FREE. If you would like to join us at the Silo 6 for a free coffee or hot chocolate supplied by De'Longhi we will using this as our Festival hub. If you are keen to volunteer as a driver for this event please contact us via our Facebook or email above. We need several drivers for People Movers between galleries. It's a fun and social event and done for the love of photography!