Welcome to Festival Zone for mid April 2025
Sustain [tautīnei] Programme Announced
The Festival team are delighted to announce the Auckland Festival of Photography’s 2025 full programme. Outdoor, online and in-venue exhibitions that explore the theme of Sustain [tautīnei] are at the heart of this year’s Festival, which runs 29 May-15 June. Explore the Festival programme online now! Cover image below by Clara Watts
Why Sustain [tautīnei]?
In the context of photographic arts, ‘Sustain’ refers to the ongoing balance between human existence, environmental boundaries, and ethical responsibility. It challenges artists and viewers to explore how we uphold, protect, and interact with the world around us—both as individuals and as a collective.
Through visual storytelling, the theme invites reflection on our impact on nature, the resilience of communities, and what it truly means to nurture and safeguard life in an era of ecological, political and economic uncertainty.
This year’s Festival brings together a stellar group of global and New Zealand photographers who explore the sustain theme from a number of perspectives. We are honoured to announce a few more here: Presented exclusively by the Auckland Festival of Photography 2025.
The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values by Clara Watt
In a rapidly changing global landscape on human rights, Clara Watts (Canada/Senegal) began her project last year as a bill, 'The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values’, was passed by the Parliament in the West African Republic of Ghana, making homosexuality an imprisonable crime (three years for identifying as gay, up to 10 for being an advocate of LGBQT+ rights). Although the bill was not signed by the then president, as recently as March 2025 there have been significant efforts to revive it by MPs.
The photographs in this show—which visually toe the line between fashion and travel editorial shoots—have removed any identifiable aspects from the portrait subjects, replaced instead with text from this draconian legislation.
In partnership with the Indian Photo Festival 2024 open call programme.
Thanks to support by Auckland Council City Centre Activation and city centre targeted rate.
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Validity Period - Roman Butym/Pavlo Kyryk
Over the course of three months in 2021, two Kraków-based Ukranian photographers visited waste collection centres in search of objects that they could re-purpose, creating outdoor, yet domestic staged sets on which to photograph themselves. The installation process itself became somewhat of a participative performance, with spectators often interacting with the artists—through selfies, conversations and even threats. The resulting images put into question the current state of our manufacturing processes with their: trend-driven aesthetics, limited-life built in to them, and little effort made to ensure maintenance and repairability. An eloquent and engaging set of images that focus on ecology and its relationship to industrial design.
At Silo 7 - Silo Park, Jellicoe Street, Auckland Central, Validity Period is from 28 May to 16 June.
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Embrace the Unknown - Petra Leary
Auckland’s Petra Leary specialises in aerial photography with an emphasis on urban spaces. Her images are geometrically aligned, colourful perspectives on how our urban environment—its landscapes of concrete and order—have become more human by the use we give them. Basketball courts, skate board parks and urban patterns take on a vibrant and entirely unique personalities when activated by the hordes of youth and pedestrians going about their business. Not only do they document our relationships with the cities that surround us, but they also encourage the preservation of cultural and urban sites and landscapes, ensuring that these valuable resources are protected for future generations. Image: Roskill by Petra Leary.
At Silo 6, Jellicoe Street, Auckland, from 2 June to 15 June. Thanks to Eke Panuku Development.
Online - I Grant You Refuge - Various artists
The words: “I grant you refuge in knowing that the dust will clear, and they who fell in love and died together will one day laugh.” mark the end of poem ‘I Grant you Refuge’ by Palestinian poet, Hiba Abu Nada; the same poem that lends this photographic exhibition its name. In it, the poet reminds us of the daily civilian tragedies that occur during the Middle East conflict. This group show by six photographers who live and work in the Gaza Strip acts as an antidote to apathy, reminding us of the very real emotional and physical toll of the most devastating conflicts of our time.
Photographers: Jehad Al-Sharafi, Mahdy Zourob, Mohammed Hajjar, Omar Naaman, Saeed Mohammed Jaras, Shadi Al-Tabatibi. Curated by Paolo Patruno.
This is an online exhibition. Imaga below by Shadi Al-Tabatibi.
Aotearoa Music Photography Award 2025
Aotearoa Music Photography Awards 2025 – Opens 1st May – Cash grants 1st place $1250 and 2nd place $500, a People’s Choice supported by a Harvey Norman prize for the image that gains the most valid public votes, other products, vouchers on offer. Get your entries ready, full details here.
Part of our May programme will be Pop up exhibitions and screenings for the previous 2024 AMPA winners and entries, which are available now at Te Oro Music Centre, Glenn Innes over Easter, and from next month at Ellen Melville Centre, High Street, Commercial PwC Tower and Te Komititanga Square at Britomart an outdoor display and screened on Freeview TV CH200 nationally. Start saving the date, for these exclusive Awards and if you're in a band, a group or solo artist, professional photographer, keen amateur or audience member start shooting for the Awards submissions.
Talking Culture - Photobook Sunday
Auckland Festival of Photography presents a Talking Culture annual event, the 8th annual Photobook day at the Festival - come along to hear and see presentations from NZ artists/photographers, who have published or are in the planning/design phase for their photography books, while viewing a selection of these books in person.
Artists, publishers and you! Sunday 1st June at 12pm, Central Library, Lorne Street, City. Free. This is an in-person onsite event, no online streaming available.
Volunteers
