Australia and Beyond

This year’s main focus is on Australia: unfamiliar to most Europeans and rarely in the spotlight, the distant island continent is often idealised for its untouched expanses. However, behind the clichés of exoticism lies a little-known and much more complex reality. 

Among the represented artists is Bobbi Lockyer, an Aboriginal artist advocating for indigenous peoples. In her work, she captures the dignity, rather than the despair of those she portrays. Adam Ferguson, too, pays tribute to his home country. As a respected photojournalist, he has covered numerous conflicts, including in Afghanistan, before realising how little he knew about his own place of birth. His introspective images are exhibited in Brittany for the first time.

‘Learning from the past’ is the message of Matthew Abbott, who  was recognised with the World Press Photo award for his moving and shocking coverage of the unprecedented bushfires that devastated the island continent in 2020.

This year’s festival also features two very different visions of the USA – one focusing on the urban space, the other on the vast countryside. Within the context of America(s), the organisers present an extraordinary retrospective of works by street photography pioneer Joel Meyerowitz, tracing the transformation and diversification of American cities throughout the years. This is juxtaposed with images by up-and-coming artist Louise Johns: in breathtaking frescoes, the young photographer captures the expansive spaces of the American West – conjuring up fantasies of freedom and adventure.