Auckland Festival of Photography Art and Contemporary Art, News Archive

Welcome to Festival Zone for October 2021.

The Auckland Festival of Photography Trust and team hope you are all well, making the best of it and helping save lives. Kia Kaha.

Auckland Festival of Photography online - Alert Level 3

Whilst in Lockdown until the end of September you were all invited to share your photos on our Auckland Photo Blog, and make your photo submissions whilst staying home or on your local neighborhood walk on your phone. Thanks to everyone who took part, and shared their experiences.

This image from Stacey Edgar; 'Deltaport' is taken last month on a local drive to Devonport.

Stacey Edgar; Deltaport

This was the 2nd edition of our very successful community photography project to help everyone share their feelings and experiences of 'Lockdown' through photos. At home, in the garden, on your local walk or if you were an essential worker, or in MIQ you took part in the 2021 Lockdown visual diary. You sent in your photos when out on a walk, took a photo now and then, helped your mental health and supported each other to share a common experience together whilst being kept apart. See what people shared from this Lockdown here.

Melissa Jackson; Home Learning The Guitar

Melissa Jackson; Home Learning The Guitar. Luca had a broken toe so daily walks were not an option. Learning the guitar to pass the time

Lockdown 2021

Update on 2022 Festival

Planning is currently underway for 2022's Auckland Festival of Photography.

"Despite funding uncertainties and Covid 19, we are confident AFP 2022 will proceed," says Public Participation Director, Julia Durkin.

The Festival Trust will call for submissions for next year's festival once decisions on timings, structures and cultural outcomes are finalised.

"We are committed to offering a great festival," Ms Durkin says. "Just as in 2020 and 2021, the shape of 2022's Festival will be influenced by Covid-19 related factors." Limited core and stable public funding and the pandemic's serious impact on commercial sponsorship options present considerable challenges for the Festival team. "We will determine how to make further innovations once we are able to determine what the Covid environment will bring for public-facing activities," Ms Durkin says.

More news in November.

The annual Auckland Festival of Photography has grown and evolved considerably since it began in 2004, including most recently the development of online projects such as the Postcards From New Zealand Youtube series.

AFP logo

Underground Railways - Outdoor exhibition

Auckland photographer Mark Barber has captured the humanity of the moment within the construction through his art portraits - the people at the heart of the City Rail Link project - the people who are working to build the stations, most who go unnoticed underground. Image by Mark Barber, Karangahape Station Nina.

During Alert Level 3, you can view this, on your short walk, if its near to your home in the Ponsonby, K Road area, but do wear a mask and keep your distance. Do remember to follow the Alert Level requirements - Face - Wear a Mask, Space - Keep Your Distance. Only 2 households a max of 10 in the group can meet up outdoors in public space. If you are elsewhere in Auckland please dont travel over to view until the Alert Level permits regional outings for this activity. This outdoor street exhibition is presented since June in partnership with Link Alliance, a consortium of several companies contracted to build the main section of the City Rail Link tunnels.

Online - International Festivals

Join the Ballarat International Foto Biennale live and online for their Fotobook Weekend across Saturday and Sunday, 16^th and 17^th October. Learn directly from the photographers and designers of photo books via zoom about their processes and production skills. Online presentations will cover not only the creation of the photographs themselves but also the visual layout, typographic and cover treatments, production and distribution of the books.

On now through to December 1^st is Photoville, New York’s free photo festival in its 10^th anniversary year. Photoville has 70 plus outdoor exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, a free community day and educational programmes. A truly diverse and inclusive Festival running over several months and dedicated to visual storytelling. Hop online this weekend for this great panel, check for time difference with New York -

Postcards From New Zealand

For this new normal, the Festival team are hoping you can also check out our You Tube channel, where we have produced over 74 artist profiles, 4 Talking Culture talks, and several short film moving image winners of Auckland Photo Day. We have made most of these profiles during last year's 2020 Alert Level 3 and 4 Lockdowns. This year since July, we have supported 22 photographers with the Festival online hybrid presentations of great work from around New Zealand. Kia kaha tatou. WATCH HERE, or see more details below. Thanks to Creative New Zealand.

Our YouTube channel promoting our own Kiwi photography and cultural identity has 74 featured artists in all genres.

See our media features on the new series.

John Pennington - Postcard From New Zealand

John Pennington; Postcard

Postcards from New Zealand offers a pathway for New Zealand based photographers to participate remotely from around the country, including, this year, contributing photographers based in Northland, Southland, Auckland, Dunedin, Waikato, Nelson, Wanaka, Hawkes Bay and Christchurch.