The Ballarat International Foto Biennale (BIFB) returns in 2019 from August 23 – October 20, this year shifting its focus to photographers who present the world in unconventional ways and in unpredictable circumstances. Featuring the work of some of the biggest international names in photography, the BIFB 2019 program delves deep into photographic explorations of human behaviour and human intervention, traversing the terrain of ecology, rights, race, capital and conflict.
Headlining the 2019 Biennale will be an exhibition of work by photographer and social activist, Liu Bolin titled Camouflage, alongside a mid-career retrospective of key photographic works by revered Indigenous Australian artist, Dr. Fiona Foley.
Other program highlights will include: To The Moon and Back, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing at the Ballarat Municipal Observatory and Museum; a personal, historical and cultural interrogation of the reproductive rights of women by award-winning Spanish photographer Laia Abril; an Australia-first solo exhibition of one of Israel’s most prominent photographers Adi Nes; Bauhaus Foto, which will mark 100 years since the establishment of the iconic Bauhaus school; Capital, a photographic exhibition curated by Naomi Cass, held at Ballarat’s new National Centre for Photography; Give Us This Day, a showcase of the work of two of the world’s leading documentary photographers Lauren Greenfield (US) and Vanessa Winship (UK); and an outdoor program which will transform the entire city into an open air gallery.
The 2019 BIFB Outdoor Program will see familiar streets, laneways, shopfronts and building exteriors morph into exhilarating exhibition spaces with works by Mandy Barker (UK), Taysir Batniji (Palestine), Monty Coles, Hayden Fowler, Oliver Laric (Poland), Eden Menta and Janelle Low, Erin M McCuskey, Sally McKay, Han Sungpil (Korea), as well as a celebration of the covers of one of Australia’s best book designers W.H. Chong in the windows of Collins Booksellers.
Over a two-month program running from 23 August to 20 October, the Biennale will present 30 exhibitions, 70 open programs, a boutique season of contemporary video works at the Regent Cinema, an extensive special events and public program, plus the presentation of both the Martin Kantor Portrait Prize and Alane Fineman New Photography Award.
The 2019 Ballarat International Foto Biennale runs from August 23 – October 20. Tickets for all BIFB events are on sale now
Visit www.ballaratfoto.org to explore the full program
