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.
The 2024 programme includes a mix of emerging and established artists, and comprises exhibitions, events, talks in venue, outdoor and online. Photographic artists are showing existing works and the creation of new work, bringing together NZ and international photographers, curators, students, amateurs and professionals for the aim of encouraging the public to celebrate the art of photography from 30 May to 14 June.
In-Venue Exhibitions
Believe [Whakapono] - NZ Herald Visual Journalists
Silo 6, Silo Park | 29 May - 15 June | 11am-4pm daily
In response to the theme this year for the Auckland Festival of Photography, BELIEVE, NZ Herald photographers share their work in the 2024 Festival. NZ Herald photographers and New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) photographers are always tasked with obtaining an image that reflects and illustrates the 'truth' of a story. But despite their expertise and commitment, the images they capture are increasingly questioned and scrutinised. NZME's Silo 6 exhibition for AFP 2024 invites the viewer to 'believe' in the real.
People Place Peace
131 Queen Street | 31 May-30 June | 10am-6pm Mon-Sun
Photographer Stuart Robertson exhibits a selection of works from the last decade travelling for his project Peace in 10,000 Hands. For the first time this exhibition includes works from Robertson's 'Place' collections as well.
Believe - [Digital Screen]
Central City Library, 44 Lorne Street | 27 May - 12 June | 9am-6pm Mon, 9am-8pm Tues-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun
Auckland Festival of Photography is delighted to present a conceptual documentary series, 'Rainforest Sentinels', of black and white portraits, landscapes and mirages by James Whitlow Delano as part of the 'Believe' [whakapono] theme. Duration is approx 45 minutes, in the ground floor foyer area, on the large screen.
![NZ Festival of Photography 2024 - Believe [Digital Screen]](/sites/default/files/styles/hotc_medium/public/2024-05/NZ%20Festival%20of%20Photography%202024%20-%20Believe%20%5BDigital%20Screen%5D%2C%20Patarit%20Pinyopiphat%3B%201st%20prize%20KLPA%202019.jpg?itok=BFMT1G3B "NZ Festival of Photography 2024 - Believe [Digital Screen]")
![NZ Festival of Photography 2024 - Believe [Digital Screen]](/sites/default/files/styles/hotc_medium/public/2024-05/NZ%20Festival%20of%20Photography%202024%20-%20Believe%20%5BDigital%20Screen%5D%20-%20Cosmos%20edition.JPG?itok=TdrKbqzU "NZ Festival of Photography 2024 - Believe [Digital Screen]")
Talking Culture - Photobook Friday
Helen Clark Room, Ellen Melville Centre | 7 June | 12pm-3pm
The festival is pleased to bring to Auckland the 7th annual Photobook Friday event - head along to see presentations from NZ artists/photographers, who have published or are in the planning/design phase for their photography books over the past 12 months, while viewing a selection of these books in person. See who's presenting and find out more, here. Keen to engage with the artists? Head along to the artist talks & openings on from 24 May - 7 June. Bookings may be required, see the line-up here.
New Zealand Chinese Photography Association
154 Gallery - Lvl 4, 154 Queen Street | 8-12 June |12.30-3pm daily
NZCPA is honored to share the work of Mr. Jiang Ting, a Chinese photographer who is currently based in Tokyo, presenting his series of works titled “New Zealand Chinese Photography Association (NZCPA) - including 20 of “grand sumo ceremony” and 30 of “sumo contest”.
Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards 2023
Ellen Melville Centre | 27 May - 12 June | 9am-5pm Mon-Fri
In a long-standing partnership with the festival, The Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards (a global photography prize) winners and finalists are back once again - view a daily screening of the outstanding portraiture photography featuring the winners and finalists selected by an international jury panel.
Outdoor Exhibitions
Believe - Aim An Arrow At The Rock In The Ocean | Te Komititanga, Britomart Train Station | 24 May - 12 June
Artist, Taro Karibe makes this work by making an original photograph, revising it to remove details and then asking AI to re-imagine what the image is. The results are abstract, new distorted beauty of a human/AI collaboration.
Believe - Kōwhai Residency - Jenna Eriksen | Te Komititanga, Britomart Train Station | 24 May - 12 June
During her residency in Tokyo, Japan in late 2023, Jenna was drawn to the national flower of Japan, the Chrysanthemum. Following a series of serendipitous encounters and visits to Yushima Tenmangū shrine, she set about capturing the spirits that live in each bloom, with brilliant colours, and post production techniques to create these strong, bold flowers, with powerful meaning and spiritual connection.
Believe - Deep Space
Queens Wharf fence | 29 May - 30 June
If seeing is believing, then NASA’s imagery from the James Webb telescope speak directly to that statement and what we feel when contemplating deep space and human’s existence in the vast expanse of the galaxies. Using infrared technology, Webb’s NIR-Cam has captured millions of images and transmitted them about 1.5 million kilometres back to Earth. This selection of images is being presented exclusively by the Auckland Festival of Photography here down on earth, as part of the ‘Believe’ theme.
Believe - Kiku Kabuki | Karanga Plaza, Wynyard Quarter | 24 May - 12 June
Auckland Festival of Photography presents an exclusive showcase by New Zealand artist, Jenna Eriksen as part of the 2024 Festival theme Believe [whakapono]. During her Kōwhai Creator residency in Tokyo, Japan in late 2023, Jenna was drawn to the national flower of Japan, the Chrysanthemum. Following a series of serendipitous encounters and visits to Yushima Tenmangū shrine, she set about capturing the spirits that live in each bloom, with brilliant colours, and post production techniques to create these strong, bold flowers, with powerful meaning and spiritual connection.
NASA’s Webb Captures Dying Star’s Final ‘Performance’ in Fine Detail
Lightbox Works - Childs Pose by Andrea Gardner
The Lonka Project - Ed Mosberg by Moshe Milner
Jenna Eriksen - Kiku Kabuki series
Wish You Were Here, Sarah Palmer
Aim An Arrow At The Rock In The Ocean. Image: Horse Rider, Taro Karibe
Kowhai Residency | Image: 菊火山 “Kiku Kazan” Flower Volcano, Jenna Eriksen
Believe - Lightbox Works - Andrea Gardner
171 Halsey Street | 24 May - 12 June
Auckland Festival of Photography presents an exclusive showcase by New Zealand artist, Andrea Gardner as part of the 2024 Festival theme Believe [whakapono]. The images are very much from the realm of the imagination or “make believe”. Art historian and critic Jennifer Higgie said about the work of Sophie Taeuber-Arp (1889 – 1943) “She understood that when everything is collapsing around you, the infinite space of the imagination is one of the few sites that can offer solace”. With thanks to The Arts House Trust.
Believe - The Lonka Project
Gantry, Silo Park, 10 Jellicoe St | 27 May - 14 June | 7am-7pm daily
The Lonka Project is an ongoing project consisting of a collection of 455 individual portraits of Holocaust survivors by over 320 professional photographers in some 35 countries, all contributing portraits of an equally diverse group of Holocaust survivors.
Believe - Wish You Were Here | Gantry, Silo Park, 10 Jellicoe St | 29 May - 22 June
Wish You Were Here, explores vacation culture amidst the climate crisis, and how it plays, often unconsciously, into what’s known as last-chance tourism. In exploring this topic, photographer Sarah Palmer examines the absurdity that capitalist and colonialist structures (like tourism) imbue. These multiple exposures are created in-camera, with no manipulation in post-production. Palmer’s visual style serves to further solidify how the worlds of nature and tourism collide, and our deep and often messy fascination with things that won’t last.
Believe - Reel Narratives
Auckland Live Digital Stage, Aotea Square | 31 May, 5-8PM, 1 June, 10.30AM-8PM, 2 June, 10.30AM-5PM, 7 June, 5-8PM, 8 June, 10.30AM-8PM, 9 June, 10.30AM-5PM
Auckland Festival of Photography Trust In association with presenting partner, Katalyst Productions, is pleased to screen a series of ‘Believe’ [whakapono] themed shorts, reflection of society’s philosophical, ideological, religious or political beliefs. New Zealand documentary maker, Sharron Ward will present her themes as they relate to the belief in the natural world, and international photographers, multimedia artists and filmmakers. See more details and screening times, here & here.
Believe - Butoh
Karanga Plaza, Wynyard Quarter | 24 May - 12 June
An exclusive showcase of curated works by fine art and documentary photographer Yulia Skogoreva (Russia). Yulia has been based in Tokyo for more than ten years, and been inspired by Butoh, Japanese dance theatre - which encompasses diverse activities, techniques and motivations for dance, performance, or movement, influenced by various belief systems, anti establishment, some religious, some queer; it's an ever evolving avant garde dance practice which took the 1950's post war Japan, in shock from the atomic bombings, by surprise.
Believe - Legacy
Silo 7, Silo Park | 29 May - 12 June
Auckland Festival of Photography is proud to present Jon Carapiet's 'Legacy' exhibition as part of the "Believe" [whakapono] theme. Using A.I. Jon re-animates old photos to bring them to life, Legacy explores themes of celebrity and power in the modern world. The pictures challenge the conventions of both photography and portraiture. They create a new perspective on time, remembrance and the traditional role of photography as 'memento mori'. A series of portraits of 'the greats' of our time. Join the artist talk: 12pm (noon) Sat 8th June.
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