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Thessaloniki Photo Festival

A conjunction of photography forces,

under the lead of photography group “Photoporoi”

With the support of:

• THESSALONIKI EUROPEAN YOUTH CAPITAL 2014

• MUNICIPALITY OF THESSALONIKI
DIRECTORATE OF CULTURE

With the collaboration of:

• VAFOPULIO CULTURAL CENTER

• FRENCH INSTITUTE OF THESSALONIKI

• KOUNIO IMAGE SPACE

• TETTIX ART GALLERY

3nd festival

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2014

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The 3nd photo festival (February - March 2014) retained the logic of its previous organization, with production of large group exhibitions that were presented in different venues in town during the same period. Participation in the exhibitions was open to anyone interested.

Six exhibitions were designed by six respective curators (distinguished photographers and representatives of photography agencies), who chose the participating photographers and their works.

The festival was organized by the partnership of many photographic forces, through the initiative of the Photographic Group "Fotoporoi".

The 3rd photo festival became with the support of the Thessaloniki European Youth Capital 2014 and the Municipality of Thessaloniki and has been dedicated to Youth, since it will take place in 2014.

Two exhibitions - productions with Young people as their main axis have been planned. The first one was a group exhibition of young photographers (up to 35 years) under the theme "Time", concerned with the way young people perceive time and its relation to the static image. The second one was a group exhibition entitled "...In the prime of youth", during which the face of young people was presented through the look of contemporary photographers.

The remaining four exhibitions were independent and dealing with four different subjects: "Relationships", "Rivers", " Personal Vision", "Everything is a road".

All exhibitions are described and presented in detail below.

Tassos Schizas

EXHIBITIONS PROGRAM

PERSONAL VISION

Anna Kroustalli

Inauguration: 3 February at 8:00 p.m

Duration: 3 – 16 February

Curator: Vassilis Karkatselis, Photographic Center of Thessaloniki

French Institute (2^Α Stratou Avenue, 2310 821231)

Opening hours: Monday till Friday 10:00-13:00 and 18:00-20:00 Saturday & Sunday closed

An exhibition on the verge.

An exhibition about management of complexity and heterogeneity of today’s aesthetics practicum. An exhibition about the de-management – and so the enforcement - of those centripetal powers demanded for the development of the differentiation of aesthetics practicum which will constantly open, widening the environment within the new photography of today will spring up?

Is it an exhibition about the democratization of creation, as it offers new freedoms /possibilities, far beyond the institutionalized prescriptions imposed by administrators?

When I suggested this subject, everyone wondered what can “ the personal photography” be? Even me, had no a ready answer. I raised the question to the photographers and through this question, I was urging them to dominate their personal viewing and expression. I was formulating the need for the photographer’s direct involvement with the subject, the photographers’ continuous self-lashing wondering about the particularity of their own work and the meaning of “I” when involving in photography (and not someone else).

After finishing (on the paper) the setting up of this exhibition, the question still remains for me. The exhibition which came up is an inter-thematic one, but with special internal expressions.

The subject of the exhibition is the photography itself and its uniqueness as a particular mean of expression. A mean of expression which is always in now days, with an authentic point of view and not repetitions of what we already have seen in the previous century.

The issue is not the subject of the photography but, each one photographer’s reason for making photos, the knowledge of what more on the mean, how unique and how special and in which way he has to express it (through his own images).

Knowing the minimum representation of the personal expression possibilities range in an exhibition, I wish to prove - through the instrumentation of the works - the uniqueness of every photographer’s work, as a particular intervening between the creative idea of our surrounding - true or not- world by a discern expression and a discrete way of formulating it. If photography is art, this should be proved through the works of creators in their days.

Therefore this exhibition is addressed more to the creators and less to the public – with

the broadest sense.

We wish to diagnose the new photography, the photography of the 21st century, both as a form (photography expression) and as content (identity). That means fresh and intense photography. Fresh, not necessarily only as far as the theme is concerned or because of the presentation way. We are not formalists without a reason. Each one’s photos have to have a specific and unique reason to exist.

PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHY IS WHAT NOONE ELSE CAN TAKE PHOTOGRAPHY OF, BUT YOU.

Vassilis Karkatselis

EVERYTHING IS A ROAD

Dionysis Fournogerakis

Inauguration: 8 February at 6:00 p.m

Duration: 8 February – 11 March

Curator: Andreas Katsakos, online photography magazine “fmag”

MULTISPACE IMAGE ΚΟΥΝΙΟ (24 Komninon str, Louloudadika, 2310 271003)

Opening hours: 8 - 13 February: Mon. Wed. 9:00-19:00, Tues. Thurs. Fri. 9:00-21:00, Sat. 9:00-17:00, and Sun. closed

14 February - 11 March: Mon. 9:00-19:00, Tues. 9:00-16:00, Wed. 9:00-19:00, Thurs. 9:00-18:30, Fri. 9:00-16:00, Sat. 9:00-11:00, and Sun. closed

The “street”, the public place, is usually the environment in which the photographer moves and depicts the real world through his own perception for it.

Nevertheless, street photography cannot be narrowed in one definition, as it is characterized by the width and multiplicity of its approaches.

The photographer moves in public places full of human presence without knowing or having planned in advance what he is going to photograph.

The images that might come up, collective experiences of seemingly indifferent everyday scenes draw their interests not so much from the real moment rather the framed /captured photographic one.

This transition, from reality to photography, happens through the invisible presence of the photographer, and through his own intervention.

“Street photography” draws its difficulty and enchantment, at the same time, from this exact point. Its success depends on the skill of the photographer to observe and capture instantly, in his subjective way, the unexpected and random incident on the street.

The purpose of the exhibition is to feature representative work of Greek photographers into “Street Photography”.

Andreas Katsakos

RELATIONS

Kostis Anastasopoulos

Inauguration: 8 February at 9:00 p.m

Duration: 8 February – 9 March

Curator: Giannis Voulgarakis, Photography Group “Photogramma”

TETTIX ART GALLERY (3Tsimiski & Dialetti, 6974040484)

Opening hours: Tues. till Fri. 18:00-21:00 Sat. 11:00-14:00, Mon., and Sun. closed

We live in a time of crisis, economic and others. In the context of crisis in general I believe that one can integrate the issue of "relations" with a broader meaning. It’s a fact that everyday our existing or developing relationships are under rapid change, rupture, redefinition and sometimes transformation, as a consequence of the general changes of modern life and the strong influence of new technologies. Thus, in an attempt to start a wider conversation around this issue and a re- investigation of it under current circumstances, 29 photographers, inspired by their own stimuli, intend to approach and show, through the photographic medium, the diverse “visual” aspects of this issue.

Yannis Voulgarakis

…WITH THE PRIME OF YOUTH

Vicky Markolefa

Inauguration: 9 February at 6:00 p.m

Duration: 9 – 25 February

Curator: Vassilis Giagopoulos, Photography group “Fotoporoi”

YENI T Z AMI (30 Archeological Museum str , 2310 857978)

Opening hours: Tues. till Sun. 10:00-18:00, Mon. closed

They are the most beautiful part of our society. They bring life everywhere they step in: coffee shops, squares, stadiums, buses, are moving in their rhythms. They are inspired by waves of time and inspire time itself. They are creators and pioneers in arts, sciences and sports. Old and young, we are so different and although we doubt each other- we are all parts of one chain called life. Creative and restless, they are charming us, inactive and complacent they are disappointing us. They are good and bad, beautiful and ugly, smart and naïve, but above all, they are young in their apotheosis of ephemeral, in the charm of crude.

The art of photography loved them, had penetrated in their rooms and everyday life. Had drawn their portraits, got inspired by their eroticism, and followed them in their activities. Enlightened their poverty, wasn’t ashamed of their nakedness, rejoiced their games, adored their beauty. Here are 21 photographers, some at their peers, some much older than the photographed characters - all of them would like to share with us their smell and soul of the youth.

Vasilis Giangkopoulos

*As the title of the exhibition was used the epigram of Minermou (7th century BC). “Shortly we are pleased with the flower of youth”, translated by M.I. Baharakis.

RIVERS

Martha Theodoridou

Inauguration: 9 February at 9:00 p.m.

Duration: 9 – 28 February

Curator: Nikos Mpentas, Photo Art Thessaloniki

ALAT Z A IMARET (91 - 93 Kassandrou str, 2310 278587)

Opening hours: Tues. till Sun 10:00-18:00, Mon. closed

The rivers in ancient times were treated as gods. Their power was characterized as “Zoodohos” (that which gives life to everything) and certainly not unfairly, since the power and their offer to humanity from ancient times until today is still just as important it was back then, although nowadays it is even more important and necessary. Overpopulation and the ever growing population of planet Earth highlighted the waters of rivers as the primary issue nternationally and sounded the alarm at the UN. The next 20-30 years, the wars will not be racial, religious or for expansive purposes, nor any other of the so far known causes of war, but for the possession of drinking water, the number one good in the world ranking, necessary for maintaining every living organism in life. In ancient times the rivers were worshiped and in 1644 AD (in medieval times) the rivers Danube, Ganges, Nile, Rio de la Plata, as we meet them today in Piazza Navona in Rome (Rome), were made awesome sculptures to the glory and delight of the human eye in contrast to the glorious past. Today, rivers are the victims of human thoughtlessness and greed, and there is an ongoing struggle to rescue them. Above and around the rivers we find people living, working, having fun, falling in love, swimming, sailing and creating. The future of humanity is based on them through the superstructures for the concentration of the valuable material that we call water. The beauty that is given to us by the cities near rivers, the economic development, the movement of goods, the existence of all sorts of vessels, the formation and distribution of ideas, even rituals, the ability to produce food, (which is referred to as the second problem after the existence of water), food offered through their waters, as well as dozens of forms of life and activity extending into and around them both in space and time, are the results, the implications and the effects of the presence of rivers. Their mark is indelible on people and humanity, on planet Earth and in history.

Nikolaos Bentas

TIME

Vasilis Tsiolis

Inauguration: 8 March at 8:00 p.m.

Duration: 8 – 31 March

Curator: Tassos Schizas, Photoeidolo magazine

CULTURAL CENTER BAFOPOULEIO ( 3 G . Bafopoulou, 2310 424132-3)

Opening hours: Tues. till Fri. 9:00-14:00 and 18:00-20:30, Sat. 18:00-20:30, Mon., Sun. closed

Group exhibition of young photographers. Time comprises one of the two basic structural components of photography. The usual perception of photography and its establishment is based on its precise depictive capacity and the freezing of time. Most photos present a part of reality in a specific moment of time. More unconventional photographs attempt to reverse the freezing effect, thereby creating images that deal more intensely with the concept of time. Each photograph is inextricably linked with time from a technical (duration of exposure) and theme-based (reference to a certain period of time or moment and to things that constantly change) point of view. The exhibition "Time" constitutes a production of images that present the way young people perceive the concept of time and its relation to the static image. The issues explored were: the old and the new, environmental changes, damage to photographic materials, motion as well as stillness, the series of successive images (sequences) and items that measure or are associated with time.