Welcome to Festival Zone for mid June 2025

The Eye Of Photography Special Edition

A special edition on the Auckland Festival of Photography has been published by The Eye of Photography, we hope you enjoy the Festival founder's foreword, articles and interviews by Zoé Isle de Beauchaine about the current and previous editions of the Festival here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Zoé Isle de Beauchaine is a Paris-based journalist and independent curator, specializing in photography. Zoé from The Eye of Photography, visited the Festival to cover exhibition artists, conduct interviews and reviews, observe panels.

The Eye of Photography is a comprehensive online magazine dedicated to the world of photography. Launched in 2014 by Jean-Jacques Naudet, Paris, France it serves as an essential platform for both professionals and photography enthusiasts. The site publishes daily updates on industry news, trends, exhibitions, book releases, auctions, and in-depth interviews with photographers. The magazine has a monthly unique visitor of 550,000. They also have a dedicated global agenda for photography with 35,000 newsletter subscribers, 40,000 Facebook subscribers, 40,000 Instagram subscribers,

Thanks to the support of the Embassy of France for New Zealand and Cook Islands, and the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and France.

We're delighted to bring you the 22nd edition of our free Festival until 15 June, celebrating photography, connecting communities.

The Auckland Festival of Photography is proud to present an exclusive showcase by New Zealand artists Ardit Hoxha and Theo Macdonald.

Labyrinth brings together the works of Hoxha and Macdonald, produced during their 2024 Kōwhai Residencies in Tokyo, Japan.

The exhibition is grounded by a mutual interest in walking, urbanity, and the obsolesced. Opens tonight 6pm, Shop 17, The Strand Arcade, Elliott Street.

Thanks to Central and Gulf Islands Creative Communities.

Theo Macdonald; Stingray - Tomioka

The vacant shop space becomes a common studio – a place where work can be shared, produced, curated, and installed in-situ. We open up the production of a group exhibition to the people. Opens tonight 11th June, 6pm. Shop 10, The Strand Arcade, Elliott Street.

Thank you to our participating Artists – Kate Rampling, Rukus Photo Group, Beatrice Carlson (phase 1), and Judy Stokes – as well as the ‘The Good News for You’ Initiative conducted by the Auckland City Council Activation scheme for enabling this project. Thanks to Central and Gulf Islands Creative Communities.

Aileen Chen; Rainer and Cat (2023) - 1st place winner Youth Photo Award 2024

The Kōwhai Residency (c), which is for New Zealand based photographic/visual imaging artists who are keen to take a step internationally and have professional development time in Japan.

This is a photography-based residency in one the world's best cities and is an exclusive cultural innovation for NZ - Japan photographic ties.

We have established two residencies in our programme, Research - around August/Sept and Creator residency around November/December each year, 2023-2025.

The Research residency is open now offers, return economy flight to Tokyo from Auckland, 5 weeks accommodation and a weekly cash stipend and weekly mentor session with our Japanese residency partner, T3 Tokyo Photo Festival founder & director, Ihiro Hayami.

Value of the above is NZ$8500, supporting your practice, concept and research.

Open now until 21st June, an open call for applications for the 2025 Kōwhai research residency. Terms and conditions apply.

Sponsored by The Bass Player Ltd and the Auckland Festival of Photography Trust.

What's On this week

Sun 15 June

10am-3pm: Photography Workshop - Learn How to Take a Pinhole Photograph at Highwic: Jenny Tomlin (fees apply)

Full details here in our calendar.

Exhibitions opening

Get into the regional places this year, for talks, exhibitions, openings this week

Thurs 12 June

Sara Tautuku Orme, Darling – Tēnei Au, Pah Homestead, Hillsborough exhibition begins this Thursday - opening function 25th June. Darling – Tēnei Au is a photographic series exploring whakapapa, whenua, and wairua.

More on Festival events and activities can be found on our calendar.