PHOTO 2022 Festival Report

“PHOTO 2022 in Melbourne was an exceptional event in the visual arts calendar for Australia... absolutely loved it”

SUZANNE COTTER

Wallpaper*

“PHOTO 2022 festival is the must-attend event of the year for Melburnian photography enthusiasts… hard to find a more all encompassing artistic festival with something for everyone.

“Australia’s most prestigious photography festival.”

British Journal of Photography

“Groundbreaking... the Festival’s 2022 edition is immense in both geographic sprawl and curatorial ambition.”

“On behalf of all Victorians, I congratulate all those who have contributed to and supported PHOTO 2022.”

THE HON. LINDA DESSAU AC Governor of Victoria

“The City of Melbourne is proud to support PHOTO 2022 and the key role it plays in reactivating the city through outstanding photography.”

SALLY CAPP Lord Mayor, City

of Melbourne

Cover: Atong Atem, Surat installation view. Photo by Will Neill. This page: Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still, installation view. Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates.

Beat Magazine

Director, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Building a world-class photography biennial in Australia

Building on the success of PHOTO 2021 (originally conceived as PHOTO 2020), PHOTO 2022 was proudly dedicated to promoting and commis sioning new work by the very best Aus tralian and international artists and photographers, and creating a globally significant photography festival in Australia that shines a spotlight on Melbourne as a capital of photography.

After delays to the inaugural festival, and keeping to the biennale schedule, the Photo Australia team worked tirelessly over a short twelve-month period to collaborate with the sector to create what was an even larger and more ambitious Festival for 2022, with 123 local and international artists ex hibiting across 90 exhibitions includ ing 50 world premieres of which 24 were specially commissioned projects.

All the works and exhibitions respond ed to one epic theme: Being Human Audiences were invited to unpack the human condition and explore what informs who we are today, what unites us and what makes us unique, expressed through five narrative strands: Society, Self, Mortality, Nature and History. By focusing on the issues most important to our times, the Fes tival connected the arts with different elements of our lives across science, psychology, sociology, technology, cur rent affairs and many others.

The ambitious outdoor program, as well as the headline events and edu cation programs, and the exhibitions at CCP, were all produced by Photo Australia, and sat alongside the wider exhibition program curated by museums and galleries in response to the theme. With the audience experience at the forefront, we introduced new outdoor locations, refined our Festival precincts, and added an experiential layer which gave the audience the op portunity to hear audio recordings of artists speaking about their work. We saw an increase of 42% in attendance across the Festival.

In 2022 we proudly exhibited 87 Australian and 36 international artists. Representation of diverse voices

underscores our programming and PHOTO 2022 was no exception with 57% of artists identifying as women and non-binary; 19% as Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander; 20% as mem bers of the LGBTQIA+ community; as well as representation by cultur ally and linguistically diverse artists, artists identifying as having a disability and international First Nations people embedded in the breadth of the Festi val program.

We are committed to ensuring First Nations are given equitable opportunities throughout our programming. Our First Nations Advisory Committee, led by Uncle Bill Nicholson Jnr provided in valuable guidance on how we support and work with First Nations artists, and we are committed to continuing educating our team and learning from the conversations and practices of artists and cultural leaders.

For PHOTO 2022, we were thrilled to introduce a new Icons stream, de signed to acknowledge and celebrate the world’s greatest and most influen tial photographers. The Jewish Museum presented an exhibition celebrating the life and work of Helmut Newton, in partnership with the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin, and we honoured Cindy Sherman with our largest ever artwork on the façade of Fed Square.

Other highlights included our free PHOTO Live talks program at ACMI and the Photobook Weekend, and our second PHOTO Editions photobook with Atong Atem which is already be ing reprinted due to high demand.

Core to Photo Australia’s work is providing artists with opportunities for commissions and professional development, and to support the next genera tion of photographers with programs including PHOTO Lab, developed and delivered with Magnum Photos. This commitment was also demonstarted in the New Photographers program, supporting new emerging Victorian photographers through an exhibition at PHOTO 2022 and mentoring from international artists and curators.

On top of delivering the Festival in Victoria, we are dedicated to promoting Australian photographers to interna tional audiences. We partnered with Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival to exhibit the work of Atong Atem in Toronto, and with The Photog raphers’ Gallery in London to exhibit the work of Christian Thompson as the inaugural exhibition at the new Soho Photography Quarter, part of the UK/ Australia Season 2021-22.

None of the above would be possible without the substantial support of over 50 program, education and cultural partners. I would like to particularly acknowledge the significant contribution of our founding patrons: Naomi Milgrom Foundation, Bowness Family Foundation and Photo Australia’s Chair, Mark Henry. Their vision and commitment has been foundational to the success of the Festival. My sincere thanks to our Festival Patrons, whose contributions have enabled the com missioning of new work by some of the finest photographers and artists and created tangible professional develop ment opportunities.

PHOTO 2022 received support from from all levels of government. Sincere thanks to our major government part ners the City of Melbourne, Australian Government RISE Fund, Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victo ria, the State Government of Victoria, the Metro Tunnel Creative Program and the City of Stonnington, and to our major partners Maddocks and Citi, for their vital investment in the creative industries and by providing the resources to enable the Festival to present free and accessible experienc es to broad audiences.

I would like to thank our board, First Nations Advisory Committee and Curatorial Advisors for their support and guidance and, above all, I would like to thank all the participating artists for sharing our vision for PHOTO 2022 and allowing us to bring their inspiring work to audiences in Melbourne and beyond.

ELIAS REDSTONE Artistic Director, PHOTO 2022

Christian Thompson, Being Human Human Being, installation view. Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates.

“It really brought the whole city to life” Juliette Hanson, Curator, Linden New Art “...it’s been thrilling to stumble across works when walking around the city”

PHOTO 2022 Audience member “Free outside art was outstandingly presented. To encounter art in public places on mass like this was an incredible experience”

PHOTO 2022 Audience member

“I travelled to Melbourne from regional NSW especially for the Festival. Spent 4 days exploring as much as possible, then viewed as much online upon my return. Amazing, truly.” PHOTO 2022 Audience member 94% of surveyed Audience would recommend PHOTO 2022 to a friend 82% of audiences ranked the festival as ‘Very Good’ 88% of audiences Agreed or Strongly Agreed that they were inspired by the exhibition they attended

PHOTO 2022 featured 123 Australian and international artists across 90 exhibitions, all responding to one epic theme: Being Human. The program encompassed ambitious outdoor presentations of new or premiering work—activating parks & laneways, iconic buildings and unexpected sites across Melbourne—as well as expertly curated exhibitions in partnership with leading galleries and cultural institutions. Core to the festival’s programming is the commissioning of artists, and in 2022 Photo Australia featured 50 world premieres, including 24 new commissions.

Designed as a festival of exploration, PHOTO 2022 focused on five Festival Precincts for people to explore: Town Hall Precinct, Parliament Precinct, River Precinct, State Library Precinct, and Fitzroy/Collingwood Precinct, as well as venues throughout metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

A comprehensive events program accompanied the Festival to delve deeper into the ideas being explored by artists and photographers. The free headline talks program PHOTO Live addressed the social and cultural role photography plays in our lives and how art can activate cities and public spaces.

While PHOTO 2022 provided important professional development programs to support the next generation of leading photographers, the education programs provided opportunities for audience members to expand their knowledge of photography and learn from the ideas being presented by artists and curators.

A Photobook Weekend also provided a focal point to celebrate the art of the photobook, bringing together award–winning publications from around the world alongside talks, book launches and a photobook market.

“We

Patrick Pound, Chair, Centre for Contemporary Photography

ACTIVATING THE CITY

PHOTO International Festival of Photography is designed as a festival of exploration and discovery. By taking over major landmarks in central Melbourne, the wider suburbs and regional centres, and partnering with Victoria’s best galleries and cultural institutions, Photo Australia provides valuable opportunities for artists and photographers to present their work to expansive and diverse audiences, while experimenting with scale and format to create unique experiences.

PARKS

Steeped in culture, history and place making, outdoor PHOTO 2022 exhibits were located at iconic sites, including RMIT Alumni Courtyard (the former courtyard of the Old Melbourne Gaol); Old Treasury Building; Parliament of Victoria; Fed Square; Melbourne Town Hall; and the vibrant Prahran Market.

CASE STUDY: Parliament of Victoria

The steps of the Parliament of Victoria was the location for an exhibition of the work of four photographers that are part of the Australian photography group Oculi Collective. In partnership with Parliament of Victoria and the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, Photo Australia commissioned the photographers to create new work focused on communities in regional Victoria. This also created connections with regional program, as the Oculi Collective presented an ambitious exhibition at Benalla Art Gallery that explored community, memory and connection.

Above: Alana Holmberg, Idle Hours, installation view at the Parliament of Victoria. Photo by J Forsyth.

Below: Matthieu Gafsou, H+, installation view at St Paul’s Cathedral. Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates.

Alexandra Lethbridge (UK), PHOTO 2022 Artist

Melbourne is renowned for its stunning gardens and public parklands, where people gather to exercise, play, picnic and relax. Bringing art to these spaces provides the audience, whether they are day visitors, residents or workers in the City, with access to some of the world’s best established and emerging photographers and artists.

Locations included Parliament Gardens, Gordon Reserve, Tianjin Gardens and Prahran Square. In PHOTO 2022, artwork installations in parklands were expanded into regional Victoria, to include Benalla’s Botanical Gardens.

CASE STUDY: Parliament Gardens

Exploring the sub-theme of Self, three artists considered connection and the human body in a series of installations in Parliament Gardens. The works of Florian Hetz (DE), Alexandra Lethbridge (UK) and Henry Wolff (AU), presented on large scale structures created an immersive and intimate experience for the audience, providing reflective moments on the notion of being human, and the beauty of the human form.

16

Henry Wolff, Together, installation view at Parliament Gardens. Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates.

“It was beautifully curated and produced to a high standard... The staff has been nothing but accommodating and so friendly. Having worked with a lot of festivals, I would put this up there as one of the best experiences I’ve had.”

PRIVATE PROPERTY PARTNERSHIPS

NIGHT TIME ACTIVATIONS

CASE STUDY:

Kobla Dido at 99 Spring St

Privately owned residential and commercial building 99 Spring St was transformed with a large image by Sydney based artist Richmond Kobla Dido. Applied temporarily and directly to the building’s brick, the image towered 5 stories over Spring St and was an unmissable artwork within the festival. The artwork, Men Do Not Cry, was developed as a portrait series, highlighting the stereotypes surrounding men—specifically black men—and displays of public emotion and vulnerability.

PHOTO 2022 Audience member

PHOTO 2022 was presented during mid-Autumn with the sun setting in the early evening. To ensure that the outdoor program remained accessible and continued to engage audiences and activate the City at night, Australian and international artists were commissioned to create new work for lightboxes along Southbank Promenade, Rodda Lane (RMIT University) and on the exterior of Buxton Contemporary.

CASE STUDY: Birrarung Lightboxes

Photo Australia, in partnership with the City of Melbourne, designed bespoke lightboxes, with huge vibrant images to capture the imagination and attract visitors to the Birrarung (Yarra River), with the intent to draw audiences back into the City and contribute to reinvigorating Melbourne’s vibrant night scene. Clustered in groups along Southbank Promenade, the lightboxes created a trail, perfect for the audience to stop and have a drink on the way, ending with dinner at one of the many riverside restaurants. Artists: Dean Cross, Naomi Hobson, The Huxleys, Luvuyo Equiano Nyawose, Marton Perlaki, and Patrick Pound.

Above: Richmond Kobla Dido, Men Do Not Cry, installation view at 99 Spring St. Photo by J Forsyth.

Below: Misha Vallejo Prut, Secret Sarayaku, installation view at Prahran Market. Photo by J Forsyth.

“I love this festival. It adds to Melbourne’s cultural flair and enhances the look of the city especially. I find it inspiring and informative.”

“It has allowed me to view my work in a completely new way and opened my mind to the potential impact of the work I’m doing.”

Richmond Kobla Dido (GH),

To tap into the full potential Melbourne’s architecture has to offer, Photo Australia has developed key partnerships with private property owners including residential, local council owned and religious entities–including 99 Spring St, Prahran Market and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Richmond

Activating the City

Marton Perlaki, Reminder, installation view. Photo by J Forsyth.

Activating the City

CONSTRUCTION HOARDINGS

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY PARTNERSHIPS

“Being selected for a major international festival validates my practice and the work I create, giving me the fuel, confidence to push on... The quality of the work selected [for PHOTO 2022] and the inventive ways it was delivered left me feeling inspired and excited for what’s to come next.”

Jenny Lewis (UK), PHOTO 2022 Artist

CASE STUDY: Jenny Lewis, One Hundred Years

Selected through the Open Call, UK artist Jenny Lewis’ expansive project that captured 101 people from the age of 0 through to 100 in her local community of Hackney was presented along 148 metres of construction hoardings. To compliment the installation and create a local response, the Metro Tunnel Creative Program developed a project inviting Victorians to submit images of friends, neighbours and loved ones from the ages of 0 to 100. This culminated in the 101

Project, presented as an online exhibition.

“The sense of community that the festival engendered was a true joy after such a long period of challenge and isolation, it reminded us of the immense talent and great appetite for the medium of photography in Melbourne.”

Pippa Milne, Senior Curator, Monash Gallery of Art

To further extend our canvas for the outdoor program, Photo Australia has developed relationships with commercial entities including Supernormal, Alpha 60, Collins Place and Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.

CASE STUDY: Luis Alberto Rodriguez, People of The Mud

For the second year running, Photo Australia partnered with Collins Place to present artwork in the complex and advertise the Festival on large scale banners. At PHOTO 2022, US artist Luis Alberto Rodriguez’s People of the Mud was shown on freestanding frames at the entrance of Collins Place, transforming the entrance into an open-air gallery.

People of the Mud was made collaboratively amongst the communities of County Wexford in Ireland, where ancient tradition and modern life rub shoulders daily. At the outset of his project, Rodriguez wanted to create a large family photograph, a collective community portrait of all the different elements that construct modern, rural Irish identities.

Jenny Lewis, One Hundred Years, installation view at Barry St, Parkville.

Photo by J Forsyth.

Photo Australia’s continued partnership with Metro Tunnel Creative Program enabled us to present projects by five artists on hoardings at Metro Tunnel construction sites. These artworks were presented along Barry Street, Scott Alley and Franklin Street in central Melbourne.

Victorians

Luis Alberto Rodriguez, People of the Mud installation view at Collins Place. Photo by J Forsyth.

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

PHOTO International Festival of Photography provides a vital platform for Australian and international artists. Photo Australia is committed to artist development, doing this through an accesible Open Call; commissioning art and providing the time and resources to research and develop new work; providing professional development opportunities and career support for emerging practitioners; and expanding the reach of Australian artists through publishing PHOTO Editions.

James Bugg, Rachel Mounsey, Alana Holmberg, Abigail Varney, installation view at Parliament of Victoria. Photo by J Forsyth.

ARTIST COMMISSIONS

Photo Australia creates tangible career opportunities for artists through the commissioning of new work with ample time for research, exploration, consultation and creation. With the support of cultural and government partners and through the generosity of our Patrons, Photo Australia commissioned 24 artists to create new works for PHOTO 2022’s outdoor program.

Commissions included works by Australian artists Ying & Ling Ang, Atong Atem, Madeline Bishop, Hannah Brontë, Dean Cross, James Henry, Naomi Hobson, Oculi Collective, Sarah Pannell, Patrick Pound, Scotty So, The Huxleys, Christian Thompson and Henry Wolff.

CASE STUDY: Madeline Bishop

Madeline Bishop was commissioned to create a new series of work So I sew stitches, a portrait series exploring the ways in which we connect, and how community and friendship come to be.

“Participating in the festival was such a fantastic experience, the highlights for me were;

- Seeing my work at scale - I love how the work of emerging artists was presented with as much care and prominence in the festival as established artists

- The professional networking opportunities: being able to participate in the International curators program was really beneficial, and just attending all the walks, opening and photobook weekend events meant I met so many people during the course of the festival

- Connecting with other artists, beyond just meeting people in a way that might provide professional opportunities, it was just really nice to feel connected to all the other artists in the festival and other people in the photography space, it made me feel like I am part of a bigger community here.”

Madeline Bishop, So I Sew Stitches, installation view. Photo by J Forsyth.

Madeline Bishop

PHOTO 2022 Artist

Artist Development

Dedicated to supporting artistic practice, Photo Australia commissioned 24 artists to create new works for PHOTO 2022’s outdoor program.

Our Festival takes place on the lands of the Kulin Nations, primarily on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri people and we acknowledge that for over 60,000 years, Indigenous arts and culture have thrived on this sacred land. We are committed to ensuring First Nations are given equitable opportunities to participate in our programs. Our First Nations Advisory Committee, led by Uncle Bill Nicholson Jnr provided guidance on how we support and work with First Nations artists.

CASE STUDY: Christian Thompson, Being Human Human Being

In the RMIT Alumni Courtyard (Old Melbourne Gaol Courtyard), Christian Thompson exhibited his full Flower Wall series together for the first time, including a new commission for PHOTO 2022: Being Human Human Being. Thompson disappears into constellations of flowers as an exploration of identity, sexuality, gender, race and memory. Being Human Human Being also included a newly commissioned soundscape, featuring a layering of Thompson’s voice singing in Bidjara, his mother tongue.

Thompson’s work is also showing in London as part of Photo Australia’s international program. See page 36 for details.

CASE STUDY: Dean Cross, D.E.A.D.L.Y.

Worimi man Dean Cross takes us to his family farm on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country for this series of Polaroids, simultaneously intimate, nostalgic and inescapably political. The images also include a text element - D E A D L Y built into the image. An obvious play on the dangers of water, but then a joke on how Indigenous Australians use the word deadly as a positive.

CASE STUDY: Hannah Brontë, Divinely Protected

Artist Hannah Brontë’s new work featured a series of portraits exhibited amongst native Australian flora, positioned outside Melbourne Town Hall. The subject, Eilla Marie “a mother of two and powerful being moving into her womanhood”, is clothed in a suit covered in medicinal plants, seeds and shells collected on the country of the Yugambeh peoples. Divinely Protected is a wish for protection from the earth as it moves into a new chapter: where capitalism begins to fall and Mother Nature takes over.

“We are visitors on this earth. There is no controlling nature.

may do is surrender.”

Hannah Brontë

CASE STUDY: James Henry, Kulin Generations

Kulin Generations presented portraits of five Elders from the Kulin Nations with one or more of their descendants. Taken on country, these images show honest contemporary existence of Aboriginal people. Accompanying the portraits were recorded interviews considering what it is to be Aboriginal across generations. Featured Elders include N’arweet Carolyn Briggs, Uncle Talgium Edwards, Aunty Fay Carter, Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin and Aunty Marlene Gilson.

CASE STUDY: Naomi Hobson, Adolescent Wonderland

Naomi Hobson’s photography grapples with Indigenous identity and social issues confronting Indigenous peoples. Adolescent Wonderland can be viewed as symbolic of the lives of young people in her community, the composition coming with a purpose: from colour, style, to the body language, and the combination of all elements creates the final conceptual image of black joy.

Top left: Dean Cross, D.E.A.D.L.Y., installation view. Photo by J Forsyth.

Bottom left: Hannah Brontë, Divinely Protected installation view. Photo by J Forsyth.

Top right: James Henry, Kulin Generations, installation view.

Top left: Naomi Hobson, Adolescent Wonderland installation view. Photos by J Forsyth.

Christian Thompson, Being Human Human Being, installation view. Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates.

All you

“I am delighted to have chaired Photo Australia’s First Nations Advisory Committee throughout the development of PHOTO 2022. It is wonderful to see First Nations voices from across Australia and abroad celebrated in the festival and prominently shown on the streets of Melbourne.”

Uncle Bill Nicholson, Chair, First Nations Advisory Committee

In a series of three exhibitions, Photo Australia curated a queer takeover of Centre for Contemporary Photography. Gallery 1 presented a solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist Paul Mpagi Sepuya. One of the most distinctive voices of now, Sepuya’s practice reveals the mechanics of portraiture and photography, positioning queerness and blackness at the centre of the medium. In Gallery 2, Martine Gutierrez presented Internet Immigrant, a series of self portraits from her Indigenous Woman series. Gutierrez’s practice subverts conventional ideals of beauty to reveal how deeply racism, sexism, transphobia and other biases are embedded within our culture. Finally, galleries 3 and 4 presented a group exhibition of Australian artists across generations: Queering the Frame: Community, Time, Photography. From the 70’s to now, the exhibition considered how the community narrate their histories—

Below: Paul Mpagi Sepuya, installation view, CCP. Photos by J Forsyth.

how voices are celebrated and how the queer community shift otherwise heteronormative readings of time and information.

CASE STUDY: Henry Wolff (AU), Together

Commissioned for PHOTO 2022, Together is a series of speculative images that articulate human-to-human intra-action and entanglement. Through visual evocations of these philosophies, emerging artist Henry Wolff contemplates the importance of care, compassion, and love. These images recognise that togetherness is built upon moral decisions, and is something we must continue to strive towards, to imagine, and foster.

CASE STUDY: Florian Hetz (DE), Haut

When encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, put an abrupt end to his career producing opera and dance, German artist Florian Hetz started a visual diary to stave off memory loss, starting his career as a photographer. Haut (‘skin’ in German) is a deeply tactile series, offering a sense of touch, intimacy, and evoking a deep sensuality. Close crops and contorted bodies create a playfully visceral series of images to awaken our imaginations.

CASE STUDY: Scotty So (HK/AU), Shungay

In a new commission for the festival, Melbourne-based artist Scotty So created a portrait series inspired by Asian erotic paintings, European Chinoiserie art, Instagram makeup trends, and contemporary gay culture. The series challenges the notion of cultural aesthetic appropriation of Asian cultures. Each image in Shungay incorporates clothing styles of the Song and Ming dynasties in images recalling historical events, queer folk tales and Asian queer films such as M. Butterfly.

CASE STUDY: Jess T. Dugan (US), Look at me like you love me

In Look at me like you love me, Jess T. Dugan reflects on desire, intimacy, companionship, and the ways our identities are shaped by these experiences. In this highly personal collection of work, Dugan brings together selfportraits, portraits of individuals and couples, and still lifes. Dugan has long used photography to understand their own identity and to connect with others on a deeper level.

Above: Henry Wolff, Together, installation view.

Below: Florian Hetz, Haut installation view. Supported by the Goethe Institut. Photos by Will Hamilton-Coates.

Above: Scotty So, Shungay, installation view.

Below: Jess T. Dugan, Look at me like you love me installation view. Photos by J Forsyth.

“Housed in the Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP), Queering the Frame features artists Brook Andrew, J Davies, Helen Grace, Samuel Hodge, Shannon May Powell and The Huxleys in a well-rounded celebration of queer love and alternative stories.” Celina Lei, ArtsHub

Above: Samuel Hodge, The Wit of the Staircase installation view, from the exhibition Queering the Frame: Community, Time, Photography, CCP.

LGBTQIA+ voices were championed and celebrated throughout the festival.

CASE STUDY: Solo exhibitions by Paul Mpagi Sepuya (US) and Martine Gutierrez (US), and group exhibition: Queering the Frame: Community, Time, Photography

NEW PHOTOGRAPHERS Artist Development

Building upon the success and learnings of the inaugural New Photographers program, PHOTO 2022 saw a new commercial gallery partnership, print sponsorship and State Government support for the exclusive emerging artist mentorship program. Seven emerging photographers were selected with the support of our Education Partners RMIT University, Monash University and Photography Studies College, the Photo Australia First Nations Advisory Committee and via the Open Call.

Artists were paired with mentors which included established international artists and curators; provided an artist fee in addition to production costs; received valuable mentor support from the Photo Australia team and the Directors & staff at James Makin Gallery; and a guaranteed spot in the PHOTO Lab program (see page 46). The New Photographers’ experiences culminated in a professionally presented exhibition of their work specifically commissioned for PHOTO 2022, alongside gaining a new, broad network of artists and curators; and a new audience for their work.

The 2022 New Photographers were Isabella Darcy, Rachel Main, Jake Nemirovsky, Jahkali Romanis, João Marco Deloie, J Davies and Olivia Mròz.

Supported by Creative Victoria, James Makin Gallery, The Print Shop @ PSC, and CANSON Infinity.

New Photographers installation view. Artists pictured: Jake Nemirovsky and Jakharli Romanis. Photo by J Forsyth.

“Learning the entire process involved in exhibiting work in a gallery was a great experience and I’ve learnt a lot through this process. Can’t thank the team at PHOTO 2022 enough for all their support!”

Jake Nemirovsky (AU),

PHOTO 2022 New Photographer

CURATORS PROGRAM

“I had a great experience at the curators evening on zoom, meeting and chatting to three wonderful curators who all offered great advice and insight, which may lead to more opportunities.”

Sarah Pannell (AU),

PHOTO 2022 Artist

Delivered by Photo Australia in partnership with Australia Council for the Arts, the International Curators Program showcased Australian artists participating in PHOTO 2022 to international tastemakers. The aims of the program were to raise the profile of Australia’s contemporary artists, and develop long-term relationships which will enable new partnerships, collaborations and market development.

Participating international curators included:

Mariama Attah, Curator, Open Eye Gallery / LOOK Biennial, Liverpool

Natasha Cristia, Freelance curator, writer and educator, Spain

Varun Gupta, Co-Founder and Biennale Director, Chennai Photo Biennale, Chennai

Gwen Lee, Co-Founder and Director, Singapore

International Photography Festival

Yasufumi Nakamori, Senior Curator International Art (Photography), Tate Modern, London

Holly Roussell, Curator, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing

Yi Soojung, Curator, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

Tanzim Wahab, Director, Chobi Mela Festival, Dhaka

Launched at PHOTO 2022, Photo Australia commissioned South Sudanese / Australian artist Atong Atem to publish her first photobook, the second book in the PHOTO Editions series, co-published by Photo Australia and Perimeter Editions, with support from Creative Victoria.

Surat (which translates from Sudanese Arabic as ‘snapshots’) is a homage to family photos and the characters within them. Working on the series throughout 2021, Atem revisited her family photo albums, which span decades and continents, restaging and reimagining the scenes and players they depict. The resulting book is a series of performances as selfportraits, documenting the act of photographing and being photographed, framing and being framed. It is a performative depiction of photography, utilising the repetition of dressing, sitting, posing, changing, testing, adjusting and capturing that is so often implicit in the medium.

PHOTO Editions gives an artist the funding, resources and time to create a photobook, edited and supported by Artistic Director Elias Redstone, and Perimeter Directors Justine Ellis and Dan Rule, with design by Ziga Testen.

from top left to right: Mariama Attah, Natasha Cristia, Varun Gupta, Gwen Lee, Yasufumi Nakamori, Holly Roussell.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS

Photo Australia seeks out opportunities to present Australian art and photography overseas in partnership with international photography festivals, galleries and cultural organisations.

In London, the art of Dr Christian Thompson AO was the inaugural exhibition at the Soho Photography Quarter, a new cultural space situated just off Oxford St, presenting free open-air exhibitions and projections highlighting the very best of contemporary photography. Being Human Human Being (2022) was an immersive site-specific installation of works including a large-scale art frieze, cross street banners, a soundscape and projections, and featured the international premiere of a new work, also titled Being Human Human Being (2022), commissioned by Photo Australia for PHOTO 2022.

Being Human Human Being was presented by The Photographers’ Gallery and Photo Australia / PHOTO 2022 International Festival of Photography, and supported by the Australian Government as part of the UK/Australia Season 2021 - 2022.

Christian Thompson, Being Human Human Being, Soho Photography Quarter. Supported by the Australian Government as part of the UK/ Australia Season 2021–22. Photo by Luke Hayes.

Artist Development

PHOTO 2022 Artist

“The Photographers’ Gallery was delighted to have been provided with an opportunity to collaborate with Photo Australia to launch our new public realm project, Soho Photography Quarter. The project has galvanised widespread press and public interest, enabling us to introduce a major Australian artist to the British public.”

Brett Rogers, Director, The Photographers Gallery, London

“Participating in PHOTO 2022 has catapulted my work into the international sphere and led to so many major new opportunities.” Atong Atem (SS/AU),

Atong Atem, Surat installation view, Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Toronto.

Alongisde its presentation in Melbourne, Atong Atem’s PHOTO 2022 commission Surat was simultaneously shown in Toronto as part of Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, supported by PATTISON Outdoor Advertising.

SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Photo Australia is committed to strengthening and growing the photography sector across Australia, and to build Melbourne’s reputation as a global hub for photography and visual art. PHOTO 2022 was delivered in collaboration with cultural, commercial, education and publishing partners and encouraged investment from government, philanthropic and corporate partners.

Photobook Weekend at Photography Studies College. Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates.

Photo Australia invited over 40 Galleries and cultural organisations across Melbourne and Victoria to curate exhibitions and events for PHOTO 2022 in response to the Festival theme, Being Human. Partners included Artist-Run Initiatives, Public Galleries and Commercial Galleries.

Exhibitions included Gillian Wearing: Editing Life at ACMI, which presented leading British artist Wearing (UK) turning the lens on herself to contemplate self-representation and the nature of ageing in the contemporary world.

Monash Gallery of Art exhibited the work of Hoda Afshar (IR/AU) in Speak the Wind, a breathtaking exhibition presenting a project developed over a seven year period which documented the people of the Strait of Hormuz (southern coast of Iran), capturing their cultural belief in the power of the winds that have shaped the island.

Arts Project Australia presented the work of Mark Smith (AU) in Ugly/ Beautiful whose work challenged the limitations and barriers imposed upon him by wider society after a serious accident, breaking down preconceived ideas of disability.

Le Space premiered Ross McDonnell (IE), Lost Boys, a series created with the so-called ‘lost boys of Afghanistan’, migrant men living on European shores, and award-winning photographer Philip Montgomery’s (MX/US) American Mirror, a dramatic chronicle of the United States at a time of profound change.

Footscray Community Arts presented five artists from across South Asia and its diaspora, speaking on the complex experiences of identity, heritage and change.

Substation presented Phuong Ngo (AU), Nostalgia for a Time That Never Was, an exhibition dealing directly with the colonial legacy of French occupied Vietnam, reflecting on the which this history has spanned the globe following the fall of Saigon.

“It was such a thrill to be part of PHOTO 2022 and we really look forward to future iterations and partnering again. So many people came through the gallery and talked about their experience with Photo across Melbourne, and it just bought so much joy and curiosity into people‘s lives, especially now coming out of Covid. They just loved it.”

Sim Luttin, Curator & Gallery Manager, Arts Project Australia

Hoda Afshar, Speak the Wind exhibition view, Monash Gallery of Art. Photo by Zan Wimberley.

REGIONAL

In regional Victoria, Australian photography collective Oculi presented the new exhibition Acts I-VII at Benalla Art Gallery. The works explored what it means to be human through the lens of philosopher Rudolph Steiner’s work into the seven universal states of being, that lie at the heart of contemporary existence.

Geelong Gallery presented 500 Strong by Ponch Hawkes (AU), a project which captured women over the age of 50, in the nude, to celebrate the diversity and reality of older women’s bodies in a world awash with images of youthfulness of mainly young women.

And Horsham Regional Art Gallery, exhibited a new series of works by Gail Harradine (Wotjobaluk/Djubagalk/ Jadawadjali, AU) & Belinda Eckermann (AU) which gave form to the invisible and unseen personal, familial, community narrative of connection to landscape and nature.

CASE STUDY: Benalla Art Gallery

Benalla became a regional hub for PHOTO 2022, with an open studio, night time projections, outdoor installations, and the exhibition at Benalla Art Gallery.

In Benalla Art Gallery, photography collective Oculi presented Acts I–VII, a visual meditation on the seven modes of being, ‘Seven Year Life Stages’, a theory of human development by philosopher Rudolph Steiner. Commissioned to accompany the exhibition, Rachel Mounsey presented Space Between Strangers in Benalla’s Botanic Gardens. Exploring these same seven modes with the local community, Mounsey created a tin type photography studio in the centre of the town, creating portraits and connecting with the local community.

In the evenings, the exterior walls of the gallery came alive with the projection of Atong Atem’s film Banksia, an intimate and visually rich telling of African migration.

I–VII

Eric Nash, Director, Benalla Art Gallery

“It is of immense benefit to Benalla Art Gallery and Benalla to have such a significant presence in a wonderful biennial… as this presents opportunities to extend our audience, and form new collaborations which enhance the outcomes for our local community.”

Oculi Collective, Acts

, exhibition view, Benalla Art Gallery. Photo by Sean Davey.

PHOTO 2022 introduced a new intiative to the the Festival’s artistic program that acknowledged two Icons of photography: Cindy Sherman (US) and Helmut Newton (DE/AU).

For the largest single work in PHOTO 2022’s outdoor program, Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Still was installed across the façade of the Fed Square Atrium. Selected from Sherman’s celebrated series, Photo Australia was delighted to collaborate with Sherman and her gallery to see the striking installation come to life and, in doing so, cementing the Festival’s reputation as a time to present work by the most prestigious artists in the world.

And in partnership with the Jewish Museum of Australia: Gandel Centre of Judaica and the Helmut Newton Foundation, an extensive survey of Helmut Newton’s work was presented for PHOTO 2022 to celebrate the life and work of the legendary and controversial photographer.

Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still installation view. Photo by J Forsyth.

Helmut Newton: In Focus, exhibition view, The Jewish Museum of Australia: Gandel Centre of Judaica, Photos by Marie-Luise Skibbe.

“Our partnership with PHOTO Australia has been one of incredible support, with mutual respect and belief in one another’s projects and organisations, allowing us to significantly dream large and with confidence of further alignment.”

Noe Harshal, Head of Brand & Partnerships, Jewish Museum of Australia

EVENTS PROGRAM

Further exploring the theme of Being Human, PHOTO 2022 curated a series of program strands and major events including hybrid talks, workshops, tours, film screenings and the Photobook Weekend. Exhibition partners also produced exceptional events to create an expansive, deep-dive Festival experience.

90% of audiences agreed or strongly agreed that they learnt something new at the event they attended

PHOTO Live

PHOTO Live, PHOTO 2022’s free headline series of in-person and online talks, were delivered in partnership with Metro Tunnel Creative Program and Monash Gallery of Art with additional support from ACMI and Photo Australia’s Education Partners, Cultural Partners, Festival artists and curators. Streamed live (with captioning) these sessions were recorded to build upon the extensive archive of sector resources available via the PHOTO website.

“The most stimulating and exciting forum for creative thinking and practice I have ever attended! :)”

PHOTO 2022 Audience member

Tours

Precinct walking and cycling tours were held across the Festival, taking in key locations of the outdoor program including the State Library, Parliament and River Precincts, and Prahran sites. Led by curators, academics and PHOTO’s own Curator, the guides provided deeper insights to the artists’ practices, Festival themes and sitespecific elements & installation. The tours were delivered in partnership with Metro Tunnel Creative Program.

“Really enjoyed it, was exciting to have lots of choice of places to go and in public spaces. Made me appreciate Melbourne being open again. Thank you.”

PHOTO 2022 Cycle Tour Participant

Workshops

In collaboration with artists and artworkers, PHOTO 2022 provided the opportunity for the public to unleash their creative sides through Street Photography Workshops and Photography Bookmaking Workshops. Exhibition partners also presented masterclasses on the photographic industry, philosophy and techniques.

Film Screenings

We piloted a new programming stream of film screenings in PHOTO 2022, with partners ACMI and the Photography Studies College, and new collaborators Thornbury Picture House. Over several evenings, films about Helmut Newton, Gillian Wearing, Lilias Fraser and Susan Sontag, in addition to a double bill by Chris Marker were screened.

Photobook Weekend

Hosted by Photography Studies College, the PHOTO 2022 Photobook Weekend was a feast for photobook enthusiasts. It was a complete site takeover with a photobook market running across both days, along with book launches, talks, exhibitions, Meet the Maker sessions and exhibitions of national and international photobook awards. See page 48 for more.

47

Clockwise from top: PHOTO 2022 cycling tour in front of James Henry’s commission on the steps of Old Treasury, stallholders at the Photobook market, smoking ceremony at the opening of PHOTO 2022, Scotty So performing at launch event at ACMI. Photos by Will Hamilton-Coates and J Forsyth.

We celebrated the final two days of the PHOTO 2022 International Festival of Photography, with a bang at the Photobook Weekend.

Completely taking over the grounds of the Photography Studies College, both days were chock-full of insights and tricks of the trade, talks, meet the maker opportunities, book launches, award exhibitions and announcements, and a Photobook Market.

We were delighted to be the exclusive Australian hosts for the Aotearoa Photobook Awards, Australian Photobook Awards, Kassel Dummy Award and the Paris Photo – Aperture Foundation Book Awards.

On the Saturday afternoon there were several book launches, including Atong Atem’s first photobook Surat, the second publication in our PHOTO Editions series.

The Photobook Market buzzed across both days with several stallholders selling out. We were joined by stallholders including Bad News Books, Perimeter, Le Space, M. 333 and Photo Collective, amongst many others.

And on Sunday we wrapped up an incredible weekend with a very special guest, Florian Hetz (DE), who joined us in person to discuss his work and processes behind his sold out book Zwei

“Bringing together Australian and international publishers, as well as local first-time and self publishers, this event was an important one to not only celebrate this community, but for photographers to hear from experts and experienced publishers... This event has encouraged and inspired the next generation of photobook makers.”

Daniel Boetker-Smith, Director, CCP

Photos by Will Hamilton-Coates.

stages of their careers.

PHOTO Lab

PHOTO Lab was a free, online and in-person professional development opportunity for emerging photographers and recent graduates.

At PHOTO 2022 it was programmed and delivered in partnership with Magnum Photos. It is aimed at preparing emerging photographers for international professional practice through a comprehensive series of guided talks and workshops by industry specialists and Magnum photographers Rafal Milach and Mark Power.

“PHOTO Lab has provided me with valuable insight into some of the possible directions my practice might take and has encouraged me to engage with other members in the photo community both here in Melbourne and abroad.”

Teva Cosic, PHOTO Lab Participant

Working with Schools

In consultation with senior secondary school Studio Arts teachers, Photo Australia developed the first in a series of online talks tapping into Australia’s best curators to learn about curating photography. Providing the excellent opportunity to hear about their experiences, personal career journeys and unique insights into the behind the scenes these talks are designed to directly support the Year 12 curriculum. The talks will remain accessible on the PHOTO website and will continue to build upon the excellent educational and professional development resources available.

Photo Australia also successfully piloted a tour model for larger school groups lead by a single Festival tour guide, designed to inform and enable the leading teachers to present to the multiple groups, while connecting the tour to the Young Person’s Guide.

PHOTO 2022 Young Person’s Guide

To support the next generation of artists, photographers and curators and their teachers and guardians, Photo Australia developed the Young Person’s Guide to provide further insights to the Festival and prompt questions and connect with the school curriculum.

Designed for families and teachers to take self-guided tours to explore the Festival’s outdoor program and partner exhibitions, the PHOTO 2022 Young Person’s Guide brought together a curated selection of exciting and thought-provoking installations, inspiring a journey in and around the CBD at venues including Fed Square, Parliament, State Library, Birrarung Walk - Southbank Promenade, and Melbourne’s renowned laneways.

“PHOTO 2022 gave an opportunity to explore the gallery space that is Melbourne CBD, getting up and close with larger than life photographic imagery. Weaving through Melbourne we followed the Young Person’s guide, giving the staff and students a clear line of inquiry when engaging with the work.”

Melissa D’Amico, Xavier College, Kew

PHOTO 2022 Attendee

Education partners

Melbourne’s reputation as the Australian city to study and experience photography is firmly demonstrated through our partnerships with major tertiary institutions. In 2022, Photo Australia partnered with Monash University, Photography Studies College and RMIT University in a variety of capacities, including advisory, programming, panel discussions & talks, tour guides, exhibition and events venues. Through our education partnerships we provide professional development opportunities for students, through the New Photographers, PHOTO Lab, exclusive internship programs and volunteering roles.

PHOTO Live

Our PHOTO Live events were filmed and are available as an ongoing resource on our website. PHOTO Live was delivered in partnership with Metro Tunnel Creative Program and Monash Gallery of Art.

“This event was truly inspiring. The ideas presented will stay with me forever. All the speakers are making life-changing and life-affirming work.”

PHOTO Live Attendee

PHOTO LIVE: Nature and Photography: Animism and Ecology. Speakers (L-R) Misha Vallejo Prut, Desiree Ibinarriaga, Hoda Afshar and Gordon White. Photo by Jane Noonan.

Photo Australia presents a range of education resources and professional development opportunites for photographers at different

RESOURCES ONLINE Sector Development

Photo Australia’s website hosts the PHOTO Channel—a platform for exclusive content, media and news updates. Artist content is linked directly through to the program, allowing audiences to access interviews, behind the scenes content and essays related to PHOTO 2022’s exhibitions and events program.

The PHOTO 2022 outdoor program was documented through the creation of a virtual tour. This gives audiences who could not visit Melbourne during the Festival the opportunity to view the work in situ, allowing audiences to move around the 360-degree images.

CASE STUDY: CURATING PHOTOGRAPHS

Aimed at Secondary School and Tertiary students, Curating Photographs was a live online talk with curators who discuss their experience and methodology of working on diverse exhibition outcomes as part of PHOTO 2022. The session was recorded and remains as an online resource through the PHOTO Channel.

Speakers included independent curator Shivanjani Lal, curator of A Bell Rings Across the Valley, a group exhibition of five artists from across South Asia and its Diaspora, presented at Footscray Community Arts; Pippa Milne, Senior Curator at Monash Gallery of Art, on curating the solo presentation Speak the wind by Hoda Afshar; Cathy Pryor, Curator at The Jewish Museum, on curating HELMUT NEWTON: In Focus and working with a major international collection; and Brendan McCleary, PHOTO 2022’s Curator speaking about the Festival’s outdoor exhibition program.

“The festival this city deserves and has been waiting for.”

Andy Dinan, Director, MARS Gallery

Ioanna Sakellaraki, The Truth is in the Soil screenshot from PHOTO 2022 Virtual tour.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PHOTO 2022 is presented by Photo Australia in collaboration with cultural, government, philanthropic and industry partners. Photo Australia is a non-profit organisation that brings the Australian and global photographic sector together to create a world-class biennial of new photography, art and ideas. We invite photographers, artists, curators, academics and audiences to explore the major issues of our time, and to experience photography in new and inspiring ways. Photo Australia is committed to supporting artists and photographers through commissioning new work, professional development, reaching new audiences in Australia and abroad.

BOARD

Mark Henry (Chair)

Bill Bowness AO

Naomi Milgrom AC Elias Redstone

TEAM

Artistic Director Elias Redstone

Executive Director

Sarah Morris (until May 2022) Clare McKenzie

Curator Brendan McCleary

Events Producer Linsey Gosper

Marketing & Communications Dean Worthington (until Nov 2021) Jane Noonan Program Coordinator Jennifer Ma Copywriter Will Cox Bookkeeping Renee Hoy Design U-P Publicists AMPR

FIRST NATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Uncle Bill Nicholson Jnr (Chair)

Tiffany Garvie

Jarra Karalinar Steel Alan Stewart

CURATORIAL ADVISORS

Arts Access Victoria (Caroline Bowditch & Phil Noack)

Mariama Attah

Daniel Boetker-Smith

Léuli Eshrāghi

Varun Gupta

Shaune Lakin

Pippa Milne Alona Pardo

Isobel Parker Philip

PHOTO EDITIONS

Thank you to Justine Ellis, Dan Rule and Ziga Testen.

INTERNATIONAL CURATORS PROGRAM

Thank you to Mikala Tai and the team at Australia Council for the Arts.

VOLUNTEERS

Vas Chakravarthi

Alicia Crowhurst

Mikayla De Pasquale

Rahul Dhankani

Margit Drescher

Tegan Dullard Alecsandro Greco

EJ Hassan Phuong Le Yuchen Liu

Joshua Nai

Frea Norman Thomas Pang

Imogen Plesa

Kelly Semmler

Sophie Spence

Amber Stanton

Christina Tereinski

Anonh Vongpracha Hugo Webster Helena Wijaya

Amelia Wilkes

Astrid Woronczak

We wish to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has supported PHOTO 2022 including Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria; Paul Fletcher MP; Danny Pearson MP; Jacinta Allan MP; Lord Mayor Sally Capp, Councillors Jamal Hakim and Rohan Leppert, John Cunningham and Jo Mair at City of Melbourne; Sam Burke, Alex Au and Simon Murray at Department of Treasury & Finance; Andrew Abbott, Jane Crawley and team at Creative Victoria; Mary Parker and Sarah Robins at the Metro Tunnel Creative Program and Luke Diggins at Rail Projects Victoria; Sonia Jeunet at Magnum Photos; Sam Redston and Jen Zielinska at MPavilion; Louise Nicholson, Susie Raven and Robyn Batson at 11 Palmer Parade; Debbie Prouse, Rebecca Norris and Lyndall Willis; and Sebastian Coles.

Thank you to our incredible exhibition and program partners, donors, sponsors, advisors, and all our volunteers.

Above all, a massive thank you to all the participating artists and their respective galleries.

PHOTO 2024 will take place 1 – 24 March 2024.

This spread: Photo by Will Neill.

Back Cover: Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still, installation view Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates.