FotoFest 2016 Biennial
March 12–April 24, 2016
Texas
FotoFest opens its 16th International Biennial of Photography and New Media Art on Saturday, March 12, 2016, in Houston, Texas. Dedicated to examining humanity’s relationship with the planet Earth, the dynamics of our changing world, the impact of human societies and the potential for creative action, the FotoFest 2016 Biennial presents 34 artists from nine countries in its central exhibition, CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES: Looking at the Future of the Planet, on view through April 24, 2016.
CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES is the largest exhibition of its kind presented in the United States to date, and presents individual artists investigating the “Anthropocene,” Earth’s most recent geologic time period, defined as being human-influenced, with the planet’s system processes being altered by humanity.
Accompanying the exhibition is six weeks of associated programming, including dialogues, talks, tours, two film series, music, and educational opportunities. The exhibition and programming are curated by Wendy Watriss, FotoFest Co-founder and Senior Artistic Advisor; and Steven Evans, FotoFest Executive Director; with Frederick Baldwin, FotoFest Co-Founder and Chairman.
Featured artists
Amy Balkin (USA), Mandy Barker (UK), Daniel Beltrá (Spain), Atul Bhalla (India), Edward Burtynsky (Canada), Barbara Ciurej and Lindsay Lochman (USA), Pedro David (Brazil), Luis Delgado-Qualtrough (Mexico/USA), Susan Derges (UK), Nigel Dickinson (UK), Dornith Doherty (USA), David Doubilet (USA), Peter Fend (USA), Roberto Fernández Ibáñez (Uruguay), Karen Glaser (USA), Gina Glover (UK), Ingo Günther (Germany/USA), Niklas Goldbach (Gemany), Lucy Helton (UK/USA), Chris Jordan (USA), Isaac Julien (UK), David Liittschwager (USA), Pablo Lopez Luz (Mexico), Evelyn Messinger and Kim Spencer (USA), Vik Muniz (Brazil), Robert Harding Pittman (Germany/USA), Meridel Rubenstein (USA), Joel Sartore (USA), Toby Smith (UK), Jamey Stillings (USA), Martin Stupich (USA), and Brad Temkin (USA)
“FotoFest is working to provoke and inspire—to get people to think about seeing the world and nature in new ways, including their own relationships to the planet,” says Wendy Watriss.
“The artists’ work focuses on many parts of the environmental and economic factors that are shaping our world,” adds Steven Evans. “They address climate change, industry, urbanization, biodiversity, water, use of natural and human resources, human migration, global capital, commerce and consumption, energy production, and waste.”
“The approaches are distinct and diverse, and the CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES project encourages unorthodox conversations between artists that are not typically placed in dialogue with one another—documentary and journalistic approaches are in conversation with studio-based conceptual methodologies.” Many of the artists will travel to Houston during the Biennial to participate in public talks, tours, dialogues and panels.
FotoFest is pleased to announce a partnership with National Geographic to present the work of David Doubilet, David Liittschwager, and Joel Sartore. The three artists will participate in a special evening panel discussion with the public on Wednesday, March 16.
As part of CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES, FotoFest is showing a large presentation of images from Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky, notable for his 30 years documenting the imprints of human activity on the Earth. Few artists have studied the global impact of the human society on the natural world as broadly.
FotoFest is partnering with Ballroom Marfa and the Public Concern Foundation to present Marfa Dialogues/Houston, March 24–26, 2016. This fifth installment of the multi-day conference is dedicated to considering the scale of climate change from the perspective of artistic practice, public policy, critical theory, and environmental science. Panelists include keynote speaker the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, community activists, leading scientists and researchers from NASA, Rice University, and Texas A&M University as well as artists and musicians whose work addresses these topics. Events take place at the Menil Collection, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
FotoFest is collaborating with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Environmental Film Festival in the nation’s capital for two environmental film series in April. A full listing of events may be found on the FotoFest website.
FotoFest has partnered with Schilt Publishing, Amsterdam, to publish a hardcover book exploring the CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES theme. The book features over 150 full color and duotone images from 34 featured artists, with essays by Co-curator Wendy Watriss and leading scholars Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy and Dr. Geoff Rayner. In the United States, the CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES book is available exclusively through FotoFest, during the Biennial, and widely thereafter.
For more information or visuals:
Vinod Hopson, Communications Coordinator, FotoFest: vhopson [at] fotofest.org / T +1 713 223 5522 ext 26
Elisabeth Meddin, Blue Medium Inc.: elisabeth [at] bluemedium.com / T +1 212 675 1800
