Welcome to Festival Zone for October 2024.
Festival 2025 dates announced
We are delighted to announce our dates for the 2025 Festival. Get planning and join us for the 2025 edition of the Festival.
We are open to programming any project created through the medium of photography and encourage active participation from a broad spectrum of artistic talent and practice including established career professionals, image inspired amateurs and emerging/young photographers.
Auckland Festival of Photography [whakaahua hākari] is NZ's premium international photographic festival, providing a diverse and inclusive platform, for the exchange of ideas, artistic expression, and engagement with photography and visual culture. Open call for submissions for our Festival starts in mid January, deadline for the expressions of interest is still to be confirmed.
We are planning to reveal our theme for 2025 Festival soon. The Festival has been curating an annual suite of themed exhibitions, events and talks since 2014.
Artist announced - Kōwhai Residency in Yōga, Tokyo
The Festival Trust are delighted to announce the recipient of our next Creator 2024 Kōwhai Residency in Yōga, Tokyo is Ardit Hoxha, visual artist, from Auckland. The Residency supports travel to Japan for the selected artist, self-contained accommodation in Yōga, Tokyo and a weekly stipend so they can fully immerse in their project. They also have the opportunity to meet Japanese artists and educators to further absorb the knowledge from working artists’ lives in Tokyo. The Kōwhai Residency is an excellent opportunity for a comprehensive learning experience in a large, vibrant, multi-cultural city and our 4th placement and the perfect step for an international encounter in Japan to soak up the city and also gain knowledge from Japanese practitioners.
Ardit says "I feel privileged to have been awarded such an opportunity, not least to have been given a chance to visit Japan, which I have long dreamt of. The time and support this residency affords to develop work is immeasurable, and I am very grateful for it".
Ardit Hoxha; Of Other Spaces
"I propose using both medium and large format photography to document the window displays, advertising and shopping arcades (shōtengai) that Tokyo is renowned for. This photographic series will draw on these buildings and those who stroll through them: the pedestrians, tourists, and consumers that they temporarily house. Out of a practice-of-being-idle, in observing and looking, this project proposes to make work about the recreational sport of being idle-in-itself, where we look to buy and buy to look"
2024 Kōwhai Residency in Yōga, Tokyo is an exclusive NZ photography residency programme established from New Zealand. The Festival team are delighted with the response to the 4th Kōwhai Residency in Yōga, Tokyo call for applications. Thanks to everyone who took time to apply. Image above by Ardit Hoxha, A Home Away From Home.
Made possible by the generous support of Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhon, and our support programme in Japan, T3 Photo Festival Tokyo.
T3 Photo Festival Tokyo is an art festival centered around the medium of photography, which is highly acclaimed in Japan internationally. This year, in its 6th year, in addition to the festival, the 1st photography art fair ‘T3 PHOTO ASIA’ is being held - view video here. Bookings essential, if you are in Japan or are going to Japan this month book your pass here.
Maverick: Alex Mao Youth Photography Awards
Auckland Festival of Photography [whakaahua hākari] is delighted to present a curated exhibition, Maverick: Alex Mao Youth Photography Awards Portraits - featuring various ‘edgy and blurry’ portraits from the Alex Mao Youth Photography Award archive 2019-2024.
Often captured while the artists are still discovering, experimenting, refining, and propagating their creative interests in photography, this selection of images reflects these artists traversing their own episodes of creative and technical tumult. Their portraitures, mostly untethered by professional and technical doctrines, distinguish themselves into their own category. Edginess and blurriness evolve into proficient expressions of their subject matter.
Image above by Ava Mae; The Mask (2022 Youth Photo Award entry)
What emerges is over six years of radically expressive stories that often characterises youth portrait photography, and the vigorous technical decisions that express such stories. Whether of themselves, or of another person/character; real people or fictional characters; curated to candid; smudged silhouettes to tack sharp profiles absorbing the first person into their own world. Let this exhibition be a journey into the creative minds lesser seen and give spotlight to some emerging photographic practices within Aotearoa New Zealand. This exhibition was curated by Daniel Ho, Exhibitions Coordinator.
Opens Friday 4th October, Pop up gallery, Devonport Wharf arcade, Queens Parade. Wharf interior arcade is open Monday to Sat 5:30am, closes 1130pm Mon to Thurs, closes 1.30am Sat & Sun. Free. Thanks to Auckland Transport.
Asia Pacific Photoforum - Singapore
Taking place in Singapore is the 9th edition of the SIPF, discover cutting-edge photography and media arts at SIPF, Southeast Asia's leading biennial photo festival since 2008. Organised by DECK. Full programme at SIPF website.
'Asia After Five' - October 30th, 5.30pm
Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhon presents 'Asia After Five', exploring contemporary Japanese art, it has been their most popular artist destination for their placement programmes over the past 12 months. Are you curious about the vibrant art scene that has captivated so many? Join us for an evening with five talented New Zealand artists who have recently explored the country's creative landscape.
Hear firsthand about their unique experiences, inspirations and the ways in which Japan has influenced their work. Through brief presentations and a Q&A session, you'll gain valuable insights and discover the diverse artistic perspectives that emerge from this fascinating culture. For those of us at Auckland Festival of Photography [whakaahua hākari], we are delighted to share the wonderful opportunity to hear Theo Macdonald our Kōwhai Residency artist in Yōga, Tokyo present on his research residency experience at 'Asia After Five' on October 30th, its free but for catering please book in here.
And its Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhon's 30th anniversary this year 2024, and on 15th October read more here about their Asia Summit 2024.
Congratulations from the Auckland Festival of Photography Trust.
LEE - ticket giveaway
Auckland Festival of Photography [whakaahua hākari] is giving away 5 x Double Passes for Ellen Kuras's film 'LEE' playing in cinemas from 24th October.
For your chance to win tickets, please email your name and address to info.photo.festival@xtra.co.nz with the email subject line “LEE giveaway” before 5pm on Monday, 14th October. Good luck!
Oscar winner Kate Winslet stars in this fascinating portrait of the great American war correspondent Lee Miller, whose singular talent and ferocious tenacity gave us some of the 20th century’s most indelible images. With Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgård, Marion Cotillard, Noémie Merlant, Josh O’Connor.
