Auckland Festival of Photography presents a curated series of visual programming for international works and local emerging talent working across the documentary, fine art and community interactive projects.
Pierfrancesco Celada, Instagrampier
The Instagrampier is a public cargo pier located on the west side of Hong Kong Island. Every day, a great number of instagrammers, photographers and curious gather daily at the pier, especially at sunset, for taking selfies and scenic photos. I started walking to the pier on a daily basis, and I soon begun noticing all the repetitions, including my own. People would return to the pier, to create and re-create, very similar Instagram driven imagery; a constant repetition of poses and situations played by a neverending number of interchangeable actors. The pier becomes a place of transition, between reality and the virtual world of selfrepresentation; between our real-selves and the way we wish our lives were perceived and represented; a “shared” portraiture of contemporary living. Because of the nature of the place I’ve begun curating the Instagrampier’s own Instagram account. IG: @insta_pier
Karabo Mooki from South Africa (Australia based)
In 2016, I devoted months shooting the rise of counterculture in Soweto, South Africa, and documenting TCYIF, a punk band largely responsible for spearheading the movement. Our shared mornings would begin at a small residential house infamously known as “The Dogg Pound” in Dube, Soweto. The hours that passed would take us on meaningless adventures from the garage (where jam sessions were held) into the nooks and crannies of the Southern Hemisphere's largest township. TCIYF’s relationship with the pulse of the township is tightly tethered to their belief in celebrating black counterculture. TCIYF continue to demonstrate their dedication to cultivating a scene that is typically taboo, breaking the mold for what is expected from black youth that are born and raised in townships. Punk rock and skateboarding are keeping the youth inspired and unafraid of pursuing their dreams in an environment that is not receptive to "white music and white sports" — without public scrutiny or fear of being stereotyped. This movement is something that I have documented through the lives of the gatekeepers of the punk movement in Soweto. The unlikely role models of The Cum in Your Face (TCIYF) have influenced their community and outsiders, bridging borders through what many may deem as anti-establishment and noncon-formative forms of self-expression, similar to the rebellious nature of great South African artists — such as Brenda Fassie, Hugh Masekela, and Lucky Dube — who rebelled against the apartheid regime through their music. This group of punk rockers continue to inspire young black children and adults from the townships to the suburbs, debunking stereotypes and the misconceived identity the world has of punk rock, and the one-dimensional perception that the genre is only white accessible. — Karabo Mooki
Indian Photo Festival Portrait Prize 2024 showcase
Participating photographers
Santanu Bose - Sayan Biswas - Justin Joseph - Arvind Patwal - Devaraj Devan - Kumar Vivek - Viraj Nayar - Haider Khan - Dileep SS - Joy Saha - Pattabi Raman - Mahendra Bakle - Vinodkumar Peta - Azim Khan Ronnie - Shreenivasa Yenni - Kapu Ravindranath - Shrikanth Poojari -Murthy Boggavarapu - Sannidh Raychaudhuri - Suresh Kumar Vakalapudi
About the Festival
The Indian Photo Festival is India’s longest-running international photography festival, held annually in Hyderabad. It’s a vibrant space for showcasing powerful visual storytelling from around the world, with a special focus on voices from the Indian subcontinent. Through exhibitions, talks, screenings, portfolio reviews, and workshops, the festival brings together photographers, curators, and audiences to share ideas, spark dialogue, and support new talent.
