FotoFocus & more

People. Places. Photography.: In October 2012, the Biennial became the region’s first event to bring together over 60 venues to simultaneously present contemporary and historical photography, as well as artistic and educational programing. (fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab))

Photography in Dialogue: The second edition included six original exhibitions and the premiere of the ArtHub, as well as exhibitions by over 60 Participating Venues. The Biennial Program included five days of lectures, panel discussions, screenings, and performances with curators, critics, and art world professionals, all focused on one common theme: Photography in Dialogue. (fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab))

Photography, the Undocument: The third Biennial included eight major exhibitions exploring the documentary nature of photography, and featured over 60 exhibitions and more than 100 events. Venues took diverse approaches to the theme, breaking apart assumptions about photography’s documentary character by emphasizing the medium’s natural tendency to distort and reshape the visible world. (fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab))

Open Archive: Featuring 90 Biennial projects and a comprehensive film program, Open Archive emphasized the centrality of photography and lens-based art to modernism, and examined our fundamental need to preserve photographs and to tell stories through their collection, organization, and interpretation. (fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab))

light&: In lieu of presenting the fifth Biennial, FotoFocus pledged its 2020 Biennial budget to financially support the region’s art community during the COVID-19 pandemic. FotoFocus distributed Emergency Art Grants to over 100 Participating Venues and Partners that were selected to present as part of the Biennial. (fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab))

World Record: The sixth iteration presented major new artist commissions and a wide range of original exhibitions and events, featuring over 100 projects centered around the theme of World Record. The theme considered photography’s extensive record of life on earth, humankind’s impact on the natural world, and the choices we now face as a global community. (fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab))

backstories: Encompassing more than 100 projects at over 80 Participating Venues with 15 Featured Projects, backstories focused on stories not evident at first glance, offering context for what happened previously or out of view, providing narratives not yet told or presented from a new perspective. (fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab))