WHILE curating the shows for this year\u2019s Ballarat International Foto Biennale, artistic director Fiona Sweet was looking for photographers with a \u201cdifferent approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to give audiences an idea of where photography is moving to, and the kinds of interesting directions photography is working towards,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDutch artist Erik Kessels looks at photography not so much through the lens of a traditional camera but conceptually; what does the photography mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Showcasing his work in St Andrew\u2019s Uniting Church, BIFB secured the 24HRS in Photos <\/em>installation for the 2021 festival, which passholders can enjoy.<\/p>\n Featuring big piles of printed images – approximately 380,000 – the piece represents the number of photographs uploaded onto Flickr and put into the \u201cpublic realm\u201d in a 24-hour period.<\/p>\n \u201cErik Kessels\u2019 exhibition is something we need to look at to respond to this extensive use of images, whether it be from a smart phone or any other digital format,\u201d Ms Sweet said.<\/p>\n \u201cThree hundred and eighty thousand is just an enormous amount of images, without context, without explanation, and they\u2019re uploaded to share with people they know, and that they don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n \u201cDrowing in images is a reflection of our time. People will be overwhelmed my these mounds of photographs.\u201d<\/p>\n Kessels has previously exhibited at major photographic festivals internationally in France, Germany, Switzerland, England and Canada, and rejects the idea of showcasing his work in more traditional \u201cwhite box\u201d gallery settings.<\/p>\n \u201cCome and have a look and share your experience on social media. Erik would love to see that,\u201d Ms Sweet said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WHILE curating the shows for this year\u2019s Ballarat International Foto Biennale, artistic director Fiona Sweet was looking for photographers with a \u201cdifferent approach.\u201d \u201cI wanted to give audiences an idea of where photography is moving to, and the kinds of interesting directions photography is working towards,\u201d she said. \u201cDutch artist Erik Kessels looks at photography […]<\/p>\n