Fotofestiwal

Can you imagine? Will you get yourself deceived? Do you really believe what you see? Are you sure you can see everything and miss nothing? Welcome to the reality where nothing is obvious and clear at a glance. Welcome to the universes where it is easy to get lost, if only you let yourself be taken off guard for a while. Meet the artists who are going to test your imagination!

Joan Fontcuberta, Augustin Rebetez, Noémie Goudal, Martin Kollar say: do not believe, but instead ask, be an inquisitive and attentive observer, do not trust photography. Under the joint theme Can you imagine? we present four different projects. What they share is their special language, which mixes fiction and reality – in order to question the credibility of the medium, tell us about the non-material reality or direct our attention to the absurdities of every-day life. They also share the gesture of the artist towards the viewer – an invitation to participate in the show. With the use of various strategies and esthetics, the artists and curators pose challenges to us and force us to take a closer look at a single picture and the context in which it is presented. At the same time, they prove that the form which employs fiction, though seemingly separated from the reality, tells us more about this reality than some documentaries.

Fotofestiwal was established in 2001 as one of the first photography events in Poland. It was a spontaneous initiative of students and lecturers of the Sociology Department. Since then, photography and ways of organizing cultural events have transformed. The same has been true for Fotofestiwal itself – we have a different perspective towards the program, we work differently, our viewer’s needs have changed. Still, Fotofestiwal remains a space for presenting various forms and types of photography, a forum for discussion about art and society, a motivation to search for alternative methods of discussing and exhibiting photography. But first of all, invariably, it is a place where people meet.