The program of this year's Fotofestiwal deals with unusual collecting. The theme imposes questions about the need to collect photographs in general, its obsessive forms, and the value of photographs that we painstakingly keep for years. The festival will be held both online and live for those who crave the "real" experience.
This year's edition of the International Festival of Photography in Lodz will traditionally take place in the post-industrial spaces of Art_Inkubator - two months later than the planned date - between August 6 and 23. For security reasons, the event's program will focus mainly on exhibitions, audience meetings will be limited and moved to the Internet, but the audience will also be treated to a couple of special events. Two exhibitions - at the ms1 Art Museum and the university's Butterfly Building at the University of Lodz - will open in the fall. The exhibitions to which the organizers invite the public to Lodz this year revolve around the theme of collecting - as an art, a habit, a passion and sometimes an obsession.
around collecting
During this year's Fotofestiwal we will get to know the profiles of extraordinary collectors. All of them have built unique collections over the years - authoritative, based on unconventional criteria and often coming from surprising sources. Thanks to their determination and original taste, they have created unobvious stories about contemporary society and landmarks in the history of the 20th and 21st centuries. In addition to amateur photography, there will be works presented in prestigious world museums and at many international festivals. The common denominator of all the exhibitions is, among other things, that the collectors themselves will take on the role of chief narrators and curators.
In addition to amateur photography, there will be works presented in the world's prestigious museums and during many international festivals
© press materials International Festival of Photography in Lodz
Among other things, we will see a collection presenting photographs of people with their eyes closed or obscured. A collection of amateur photos, sometimes intimate, that have been subjected to violence by scratching out the eyes of the people depicting them. A Fortepan collection will also be made available, consisting of photos found in a bag abandoned in a dumpster, found in basements, antique stores or donated by private individuals.
world in crisis
The exhibition, to be held at the Museum of Art in Lodz, titled "Burning House," was prepared by Antoine de Galbert, founder of the private museum La Maison Rouge in Paris. The exhibition shows the contemporary world in crisis. It will feature works by politically and socially engaged artists, including: Christian Boltanski, Boris Mikhailov, Jonathan Horowitz, David Goldblatt, Mikhael Subotzky, Yoho Tsuda.
open program
As always, the festival's program will include the Open Program exhibition - the result of an annual call for entries and work with an international jury. The projects of six selected artists present the most current trends and themes of contemporary photography.
For more information about Fotofestiwal - International Festival of Photography in Lodz.
Fortepan collection, consisting of photos found in a bag abandoned in a dumpster, found in basements, antique stores or donated by private individuals
© press materials International Festival of Photography in Lodz
