Fotofestiwal 2015: Aftermovie

FOTOFESTIWAL is already 14 years old! Many things have changed from our first edition in 2001, but not the important ones: the variety of our exhibitions and activities and the presence of remarkable photographers from around the world.

ART_INKUBATOR, main festival center in Tymienieckiego 3, held a total of eighteen exhibitions. Our rooms were filled with projects of Fotofestiwal’s 2015 Grand Prix finalists and with works of award winning photographers such as Mateusz Sarełło (with Swell), Anna Grzelewska (with Julia wannabe – about her daughter’s growing up process); Cyrill Costilhe, with a dark, lynchian work on Diego Suarez in Madagascar; Patrick Willocqa, in a colorful project on tribal rituals in Republic of Congo; or Sarker Protick, depicting Dhallywood film sets in Bangladesh.

New section appeared - DISCOVERY SHOW - where young, noteworthy artists will be presented. We started with a huge, monographic exhibition of the Mozanbican photographer Mario Macilau. Almost thirty year-old, Macilau has already exhibited his work around the globe and has got his catalogues introduced by the master Roger Ballen.

The main hall of Art_Inkubator presented VIEW. THE LANDSCAPE IN THE POLISH PHOTOGRAPHY, a collective exhibition that concluded one of our traditions, COLLECTOR’S PHOTOGRAPHY AUCTION. Next door, a two-day series of meetings about travel photography introduced the theme for Fotofestiwal 2016, HIT THE ROAD. Arranged by Alison Nordström – Artistic Director of the festival – the discussions created the opportunity to hear renowned international panelists such as Simon Norfolk, Carl de Keyzer, Christopher Rauschenberg, W.M. Hunt, Celina Lunsford or Christina Capetillo.

In the ART_INKUBATOR guests were also able to see an exhibition summarizing the 25 years of photography in “Twój Styl” (Polish fashion magazine); the collective show of Łódź Film School students; and, thanks to Leica Gallery in Warsaw, the work of Martin Kollar and Alejando Cegarra – winners of Leica-Oscar Barnack Award.

OFF-PIOTRKOWSKA, our second festival center in Piotrkowska 138-140, the former industrial complex, hosted three projects of Fabrica – Benetton communication research center in Italy – and the pictures of Dougie Wallace on English nightlife. On the top floor, an new concept of portfolio review – PORT-OFF-FOLIO – brought together more than thirty international well known names in the photographic field (artists, curators, historians) with selected applicants, in order to discuss and get feedback about personal projects.

Not only our centers but also the entire city was involved in the Fotofestiwal and several partner galleries brought top exhibitions to their spaces. Atlas Sztuki exhibited the images of Karl de Keyzer, one of our panelists and member of Magnum Agency. All of this plus workshops, parties and contests as Polish Photographic Publication of the Year, made edition 2015 filled with audience.

We would like to say HUGE THANK YOU to our guests, volunteers, granting institutions, sponsors, partners and media partners! We love you!