Attention all photography enthusiasts! The highly anticipated ‘PHOTO 2024’ International Festival of Photography has officially kicked off today across Melbourne and Regional Victoria. With over 100 free photography exhibitions and outdoor art installations to explore, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
As Lord Mayor Sally Capp opened the 3rd, 2024 International Photo Festival this morning, she reminded us of the power of photography, stating that “photography holds life still.” This sentiment perfectly captures the essence of the festival, which aims to showcase the beauty and diversity of the art form.
Sally also went on to say, “the future is shaped by those who see it, not just here in Melbourne, Australia, but around the world. We love the way that PHOTO 2024 will encourage everyday Melburnian’s and visitors to pause for a moment and to be stimulated, and to consider the stories and the messages and the provocations that exist in each of the exhibitions.”
Addressing the theme ‘The Future Is Shaped by Those Who Can See It’, PHOTO 2024’s expansive program invites audiences to discover the possible and parallel futures that lie ahead, and how current actions are shaping future realities – from AI-generated images and surveillance evasion to climate futures and animal espionage.
Founder/Artistic Director Elias Redstone says: “The world has changed immeasurably in recent years and what lies ahead is far from certain. At PHOTO 2024, visionary artists and photographers are sharing their insights of the world as it is today to raise questions about what lies in store for us tomorrow.”
Elias also went on to say, “the exhibition celebrates exceptional new photography, art, and ideas from across Australia and around the world. There are 29 outdoor installations alone at iconic locations including the Parliament of Victoria, Melbourne Town Hall, and my personal favourite the Treasury Building.
Outside St Paul’s Cathedral we have the 7 photographs that shaped the future. These images shaped the course of history and after months of discussion we narrowed it down to these few. I have no doubt this display will provoke furious debate over which images should have been included and why.”
PHOTO 2024’s engaging events program of tours, talks, film screenings and workshops concentrate on four focus weekends that allow photography lovers at all levels to participate – from Opening Weekend celebrations and Regional Weekend excursions, to stimulating discussions on the future of photography at the Ideas Weekend, and a world of photography books to browse and buy at the Photobook Weekend.
PHOTO 2024 is presented by PHOTO Australia in collaboration with 50 cultural, education, industry, government, and corporate partners including City of Melbourne and Creative Victoria.
For more information about the program, visit photo.org.au.
