The 2016 Festival of Political Photography

January 15, 2016

The Finnish Museum of Photography invites the audience to examine ways of influencing with politically conscious photographs. February 19 through May 1, 2016, Helsinki, Finnland.
The Finnish Museum of Photography invites the audience to examine ways of influencing with politically conscious photographs. February 19 through May 1, 2016, Helsinki, Finnland.

With exhibitions, seminars and a diverse discussion program, the 2016 Festival of Political Photography invites the audience to examine ways of influencing with politically conscious photographs. The theme of the 2016 edition of the festival is Homeland.

Why do the words home and land sound and feel good, but homeland refers to something restricted, nationalistic and even prejudiced? During the festival, the theme will be discussed in relation to mental and geographical areas and landscapes, and in relation to belonging to them and losing them. In our time, homeland tends to be defined through the lack of or loss of a homeland. It is often also defined through restricting and controlling the movements of people who do not belong there.

In addition to the photography exhibitions and diverse seminar and discussion programme, the festival has invited Finnish photographers to comment on the social climate in Finland. With the theme Homeland, the festival also reflects how photographs are used to establish feelings of belonging to a place and belonging in general, but also to establish a sense of exclusion and prejudice. What is it that we long for when we miss home or a specific place? What is shunned when the homeland is denied? With the theme homeland, the festival will also examine how people take over areas – concretely, visually and on a mental level. Taking over might mean, on the one hand, involuntary admission and capture, but also the multi-dimensional understanding of issues.

The photographers of the 2016 Festival of Political Photography
Miia Autio, works from the series I called out for mountains, I heard them drumming; Laura Böök, photographs from the series Walking on Rivers; Nicolò Degiorgis, photographs from the series Hidden Islam; Maria Gruzdeva, photographs from the series Russian Borders; Mattia Insolera, photographs from the project 6th Continent; Tuomo Manninen, photographs from the series Me; Adrian Paci, video and photographs from Centro di Permanenza temporanea /Temporary Detention Center; Sanni Seppo & Kerttu Matinpuro, photographs from a series shot in West Sahara; Danila Tkachenko, photographs from the series Escape; Katja Tähjä, photographs from the series Paperless and Deported; Oksana Yushko, photographs from the series Graduates and Balaklava: The Lost History

Please find more information at The 2016 Festival of Political Photography
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The 2016 Festival of Political Photography