Auckland Festival of Photography 2024

believe whakapono

intro

Photography has never been an objective purveyor of reality. Not since the 1917 Cottingley Fairies in the garden have we believed all photography to be a window to the truth. While much art photography is staged or manipulated in the process of its creation, even photojournalism – which we tend to believe is truthful – is subjective in its creation and is often as much about what is left outside the frame than what is inside.

With the ongoing development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) we are entering a whole new era in the creation of images which can seamlessly pretend to be ‘real’. Who or what are we now to believe? How does photography maintain its role in the reflection of society’s philosophical, ideological, religious or political beliefs? How does light exposure in analogue, or digital processes underpin our beliefs in artistic work?

This year’s Festival theme is ‘Believe’ [whakapono] – it has to be seen to be believed.

Auckland Festival of Photography 2024 has gathered a group of lens-based artists, photo journalists and ‘photography-manipulators’ whose oeuvre relies on or questions this fundamental, human trait of ‘belief.’

From the documentary images captured by NZME photojournalists on the beat through to raw data beamed – from 1.5 million kilometres away – down to earth by Nasa’s James Webb Telescope. From portraits of Holocaust survivors and those capturing the state of our environment or of First Nations peoples, through to heavily manipulated photos of world leaders, flora and seemingly innocent tourist spots from the comfort of cruise ships. This year’s programme succinctly and overtly makes us question where our trust lies and what leaps of faith we are willing – or perhaps forced – to take in order to bridge the gap between our knowledge and the world of visual stimuli we consume daily and at unprecedented speeds.

Believe, or don’t; that is the question.

In the following pages is a small selection of the images in shows that fall within the ‘Believe’ theme in the upcoming Auckland Festival of Photography. For a full calendar of exhibitions, events and awards please visit photographyfestival.org.nz

Cover image: Pillars of Creation (MIRI Image) by: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI)

Moshe Milner,

Mosberg

Jupiter (NIRCam Image) by NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Ricardo Hueso (UPV), Imke de Pater (UC Berkeley), Thierry Fouchet (Observatory of Paris), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley), Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

NGC 346 (MIRI Image) by NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Nolan Habel (NASA-JPL)

Deep Space, Queens Wharf Fence 29 May – 30 June

NZ Herald Visual Journalists

Silo 6 – Silo Park

29 May – 15 June

IC348 , NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Kevin Luhman (PSU), Catarina Alves de Oliveira (ESA)

Mike Scott, Aerial Portrait of Matthew Bannister from the Front Lawn

27 May –

Talking Pictures, Online programme

27 May – 22 June

(Below)

Stuart Robertson, Goroka

People Place Peace Gallery

31 May – 30 June

(Right)

Rainforest

Pop Up – Devonport Wharf,

26 May – 30 June

City at Gantry Wall, Silo Park

27 May – 14 June

(Above) Tomoko Sawada, School Days/A from the series School Days 2004, Talking Pictures, Online programme

22 June

(Left) Boris Eldagsen, The Electrician 2022 from the series Pseudomnesia

(Above) James Whitlow Delano, Rainforest Sentinels #1

James Whitlow Delano, Rainforest Sentinels #2

Sentinels

Lucia Herrero, 2018 Grand Prize, KLPA –Reindeer Man series

Andrea Gardner, The Weighted Palm Lightbox, Karanga Plaza – Viaduct Harbour

– Aotea Square

31 May – 2 June, 7 – 9 June

29 May – 22 June

Sharron Ward, Deep Sea Conservation – Working Title

Reel Narratives, Auckland Live Digital Stage

Sarah Palmer, from the series Wish You Were Here (Above) Taro Karibe, three images from the series Aim an Arrow at the Rock in the Ocean Te Komititanga Square – opp Britomart Train Station

24 May – 12 June

Sarah Palmer, from the series Wish You Were Here Gantry – Silo Park

Auckland Central Library

44 Lorne St, Auckland Central

Auckland Live Digital Stage, Aotea Square

291 Queen St, Auckland Central

Gantry – Silo Park

10 Jellicoe St, Auckland Central

Silo 6 – Silo Park

Corner Beaumont & Jellicoe St, Auckland

Silo 7 – Silo Park

Corner Beaumont & Jellicoe St, Auckland

Queens Wharf Fence

89 Quay St, Auckland Central

Karanga Plaza – Viaduct Harbour

171 Halsey St, Auckland Central

Te Komititanga Square

opp Britomart Train Station

130 Quay St, Auckland Central

Thanks to Auckland Council City Centre targeted rate

People Place Peace Gallery

131 Queen St, Auckland Central

PWC Tower, HSBC Tower, Aon Centre, Jarden House and Deloitte Centre Lobbies

15 Customs St West, Auckland Central

Pop Up – Devonport Wharf

1 Queens Parade, Devonport

For a full list of all venues taking part in the Auckland Festival of Photography visit photographyfestival.org.nz

festival info

Auckland Festival of Photography 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.

It is a region-wide contemporary art and cultural event which takes place within Auckland’s major galleries, project spaces, non-gallery venues and public sites during winter each year. The programme includes a mix of emerging and established artists and comprises existing works and creation of new work.

The annual Festival is produced by the Auckland Festival of Photography Trust. The Trust is a not for profit charitable trust working to further the presence and awareness of photography in Auckland through joint programming, audience development and profile-raising activities. It is registered with the Charities Commission No: CC38839.

You can make a tax credit donation here on our Give A Little page.

Festival Trust: Jim He, MNZM, Rachel Qi, Julia Durkin, MNZM,

Festival Team: Elaine Smith, Rebecca Edwards, Victor van Wetering, Rachael Clark, Federico Monsalve.

None of this could be possible without the concerted effort and constant support of our team, supporters, volunteers, participants, venues, and much more.

Thanks to: Frith Walker, Charlotte Palmer, Eke Panuku Development, Catherine George, Barbara Holloway, Auckland Council, Tania, Mark at CH200 Freeview, Aaron Key at Sony New Zealand, Pacific Culture & Arts Exchange Centre, Moshe Rosenzveig, OAM, Head On Photo Festival, Vanessa Gerrans, BIFB, Ihiro Hayami, T3 Tokyo Photo Festival, Steven Lee, KLPA, arigato YH, Mike Itkoff, Daylight Media, USA, Katalyst Productions Ltd, Ilan Wittenberg, WOW Photography, Stuart Robertson, Rhys Williams, NZIS, Ben Stevens, Flipview, John Rutherford & Valerie Gill, XA. Thanks to all our supporters past, present and future.

Special Thanks to The Gerrard and Marti Friedlander Charitable Trust for their support of the Festival 2024 Zine production, writing, printing and distribution for educational outcomes

A special thanks to our 2024 funders and sponsors:

The Bass Player

In-Venue • Outdoors • Online • Free photographyfestival.org.nz