Photography is dead - The International Photographic Review

A series of events to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Photographic Review will be unveiled from 30th July – 2nd August 2009.


The International Photographic Review, organised by Rhubarb Rhubarb celebrates its 10th anniversary this year by posing the provocative statement Photography is dead…Rhubarb has combined retrospectives with up and coming photographers, plus such renowned names as Nadav Kander, to create a high profile gathering of contemporary photographic talent and public participation, promoting a real appreciation of how photography can and does influence our lives.

It’s rather interesting that Rhubarb Rhubarb have organised, at Aesthetica we’ve been focusing on photography in all is wonderful guises from the venerable Rankin(special feature on Rankin Live in the August issue) to our forthcoming feature on Martin Parr (Oct issue). Also we have our Aesthetica Creative Works Competition running at the moment, which is attracting some very high profile entries from around the world. Last year’s winner was Jacquelyn Noelle Unpinco, a very young talented photographer.



40 of the most acclaimed international gallerists, photographic publishers and agents arrive in Birmingham as the guests of the International Photographic Review and for three days meet aspiring photographers from all over the world. This year’s experts include: Alison Nordstrom – Curator of Photographs, George Eastman House, Rochester, USA; Alasdair Foster, Director, Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney; Natalie Matutschovsky, Photo Editor – New Yorker; Stephen Mayes, CEO VII Photo Agency, New York; Maarten Schilt, Mets & Schilt Publishers/LUX Photo Gallery, NL, and Chris Littlewood, Curator of Photographs, Flowers Gallery, London.



Rhonda Wilson, Creative Director of Rhubarb-Rhubarb, said: “Generosity of spirit, avid enthusiasm, collective will, a little risk and the collaboration of a very eclectic private and public partnership in 2009 have all come together to create what we think is our most inspiring event of the last ten years. At a time when traditional photography is disappearing, the digital is being embraced by those outside the professional sector, and fine art photo artists are producing amazing work at an increasingly younger age, we are in the most fascinating, complex and contradictory time for photography, its makers, and for those who regard it for pleasure or economics. We hope that the programme inspires and ignites a passion in those who come and join us.”



Photography is dead… presents an eclectic collection of photographic shows, images to buy, debates to attend and events to visit, all with the aim for the public to consider, debate and enjoy the state of photographic art in the contemporary world.






International Photographic Review events:

Portfolio Promenade
Radisson Hotel, Birmingham City Centre
Saturday 1st August, 8.30pm-11pm
Free but tickets must be booked in advance
This event provides collectors, and would be collectors, an opportunity to view or buy the very best in international fine art photography as well as a chance to engage with artists and their images from around the world.


I’m one of Obama’s People
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Saturday 25th July – 11am-4pm and Sunday 26th July – 1pm-4pm.
Free but please call ahead to book slot on 0121 773 7889
Participants can be photographed as one of Obama’s Administration Team, inspired by the hugely successful show at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Obama’s People by Nadav Kander. Visitors are asked to make up their title and bring props to represent the fictional role. Part of the Cultural Olympiad Open Weekend this Rhubarb Rhubarb event offers ten minute slots for each portrait, maximum of three people in each.

Photography is dead…the show
Three White Walls Gallery
30th July – 2nd August 2009
Free
Ten year retrospective show at in the city’s Mailbox centre, brings together images by Andy Lock, Antony Crossfield, Astrid Kruse Jensen, Chino Otsuka, Elaine Duigenan, Ferit Kuyas, Han Sungpil, Michael Lundgren, Penny Klepuszewska, Simon Roberts, Stuart Whipps, Toby Smith – all chosen by international curators and publishers from their visits to the Rhubarb International Review over the last decade.

Photography is Dead…the debate
Radisson Hotel, Birmingham City Centre
Thursday 30th July, 1pm
Call Rhubarb on 0121 773 7889
Tickets £15
Chaired by Stephen Mayes, Image Future Forecaster and CEO of VII Photo Agency, who will be joined by Alison Nordstrom, Curator of Photographs at George Eastman House, Rochester, USA; Jon Levy , publisher, Foto8, London; MaryAnn Camilleri, Magenta Publishing for the Arts, Toronto; John Cross, Peter Bailey Company,
Photographer & Digital Artist Agents, London; Brian Griffin, photographer extraordinaire, London.

Hungry
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Show runs until 29 Aug 09
Monday to Saturdays 10-5pm. Closed Bank Holidays.
Free
‘Hungry’ satisfies those looking for new and upcoming photographic talent. The result of the Arts Council England/Rhubarb New Bursary Awards, the winners were chosen from 148 entries by an esteemed panel of curators. The award's show is surprisingly even in both concept and creativity – proving that photographers are peaking with their practices at an increasingly younger age. The Jackson Twins, Lucinda Chua, Dominic Hawgood, Nicky Walsh, Moira Lovell, Peter Ainsworth, Elizabeth Hingley, Toby De Silva, Chris Shaw and Colin Gray.

Observance
St Martins Church in the Bullring
14th July – 9th August 2009
Monday to Saturday: 10am - 4.30pm, Sunday: 10am - 7.30pm
Free
Nicola Dove presents ‘Observance’, a fascinating portrait study of how photography can capture faith. Using a fifteen second exposure and getting her sitters, who include Ela Ghandi (Ghandi’s granddaughter), Yonah Metzger (Chief Rabbi of Israel), and His Holiness Karmapa Trinlay Thaye Dorje (Head of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism), to look into the lens, we are prompted to ask just who is being looked at and by whom....

Hereford College of Arts Graduate Show
Hereford College of Arts
31st July – 2nd August
8.00 – 24.00
Free
Hereford College of Arts Photographic Degree Students profile their work in a show reel on site in the lounge at Aston Business School.

For further details visit www.rhubarb-rhubarb.net

Image credits
Picture 1
Artist - © Antony Crossfield
Title of photograph - Inversion
Body of work - God's Eye View
From - Photography is Dead ...
Rhubarb-Rhubarb 2009

Picture 2
Artist @Jaskson Twins
Title of photograph - The Echo of Footfalls heightened her Flourishing Hysteria
From - Hungry
Rhubarb-Rhubarb 2009

Picture 3 Artist - © Liz Hingley
Title of photograph - The Adina's Church Hat
Body of work - Under Gods
From - Hungry
Rhubarb-Rhubarb 2009

Picture 5
Artist - © Christopher Privett
Title - Seaside View
Body of work - Seaside Towns, Barry Island
From - Hereford college show-reel
Rhubarb-Rhubarb 2009

Bob and Roberta Smith and Wolfgang Tillmans Appointed Tate Trustees

This just in…

The Board of Trustees of Tate has announced today that the Prime Minister has appointed Bob and Roberta Smith and Wolfgang Tillmans as Tate Trustees. The terms of appointment will be for four and five years respectively, from 20 July 2009. By statute, at least three of Tate’s Trustees are practising artists and Bob and Roberta Smith and Wolfgang Tillmans will join artist Trustees Jeremy Deller and Anish Kapoor on the Board.


Bob and Roberta Smith (b. 1963, age 46) lives and works in London. He studied at the University of Reading and Goldsmiths College London. The artist invites us to question high art, and the role that aesthetic elitism has to play in society today. At the core of his practice Bob & Roberta Smith asserts that art can and should be an essential tool in the democratic process. He shows work internationally, with recent shows in Italy and the United States, and at Tate Britain. A major work entitled This Artist is Deeply Dangerous will be shown as part of the Edinburgh Arts Festival this summer. You can read about this show in the August/September issue of Aesthetica. We will also have the podcast ready shortly.


Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968, age 40) is a German artist who lives and works in London and Berlin. He studied at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. He was first recognized in the early 1990s for his affecting and unconventional images of friends and other young people in his social circle. Since then Tillmans’s subject matter has broadened combining portraits, still-lifes and landscapes with abstract and sculptural photographic works hung in carefully considered wall installations. This fusion of different photographic practices and a continuous production of artist books is spurred by his personal experiences of life and a strong political engagement. He won the Turner prize in 2000.

Image Credit
Wolfgang Tillmans
Tate Trustee

Image Credit:
Bob and Roberta Smith
Tate Trustee

Courtesy Tate

Be in a Zombie Movie

This is really funny, and I just love Noel Fielding – he’s just the kind of guy you’d want in your gang. I really wanted to flag this up to you because there’s also a chance for you to get involved and help to break a world record for the largest amount of zombies caught on camera! Not entirely my bag, maybe a bit lo-fi, but looks fun.

Noel Fielding, renowned as one half of the comedy duo The Mighty Boosh, will star as the Zombie King in Film4 and Warp Films’ upcoming production I Spit On Your Rave which will be filmed at this year’s Big Chill Festival.

The year is 2018. The apocalypse has happened. Zombies rule the world. Human beings are kept only for food (and sometimes entertainment). But old habits die hard, so once a year the zombies still hold a music festival and this year at The Big Chill Festival Warp Films and Film4 will be recreating this ghastly event. With the Zombie King Noel Fielding presiding over proceedings, its time to come and join the fundead!

The Might Boosh Band headlined the Big Chill Festival 2008 and Fielding is set to perform a solo set again this year in addition to his duties as Zombie King. A highly regarded comedian in his own right, Noel’s television work includes appearances in Nathan Barley, Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place and The IT Crowd. He also appears in Paul King’s debut feature ‘Bunny & The Bull’ produced by Warp Films and due for release later this year.

On Thursday 6th of August, Big Chill Festival and partners will be attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest amount of zombies caught on camera, when shooting begins on. In order to take part in these events wannabe zombies have to be a Big Chill Festival ticket holder and look like one of the undead. Whilst the festival would love for everyone to arrive as a zombie, if revellers don't have time to get make-up and gear together, the Big Chill Festival will provide Zombification Stations at the arena entrances and get undeaded!

Make-up stations will be open all-day, starting as soon as festival goers start to arrive and set up camp. Once the entertainment area opens at 3pm, revellers will only to be able to get into the Open Air Stage field if they are zombiefied. White face make-up and a bit of fake blood will do, but festival organisers would love it if participants could go the whole hog. There will be zombie-themed DJ sets and other entertainment to keep festival goers in the mood. More details can be found at www.ispitonyourrave.com.

Getting to the zombie extravaganza – The Zombie Bus
If prospective zombies are in London and don't know how they’re going to get to the festival, why not join fellow zombies at The Big Chill House (Pentonville Road, Kings Cross) or Big Chill Bar (Dray Walk, off Brick Lane) and get on the Zombie Bus? Revellers will be gathering at 11am on Thursday morning for breakfast and a drink, as well as the all important zombie makeover. Zombie bus packages cost £170 (includes festival ticket, bus travel to and from the festival, a zombie makeover, sandwiches / croissants, tea / coffees, beers n Bloody Marys, tunes on the bus and fun times had by all!) are available to book through www.nationalexpress.com/metrochill.

The record breaking attempt
At 7.00pm on Thursday 6th August Warp Films and Film4 will film the highlight of the zombie festival, 'The Running Feast'. This is where we need the biggest possible zombie crowd so we can beat that world record! The crowd will be greeted by their Zombie King, Noel Fielding. This will be staged as a live event, with music from Toddla T and other special guests. Think 'It's a Knockout' meets 'The Running Man', with specially 'captured' humans chased through an obstacle course by zombies hungry for brains... Gory fun for the whole post-nuclear family!

Further zombie entertainment
After this, zombies will be especially welcome at British Sea Power's live accompaniment of 'Man of Arran' ('Zombie of Arran'?) and 'Winged Migration'. Then there's more undead fun with zombie movies from from dusk till dawn in the Film4 Cinema Tent, featuring two of the '...Dead' films by zombie movie legend George A. Romero, John Carpenter's haunting 'The Fog' and Sam Raimi's cult horror-comedy classic, 'Evil Dead II'. And if zombies feel like strutting your undead stuff, they can shuffle over to the zombie disco in Big Chill Nights.

Throughout the weekend smaller events will be taking place, including a zombie battle of the bands, an undead fashion show, zombie weddings and a zombie rave. If potential zombies want to take part in any of these events let us know, either by emailing ispitonyourrave@warpfilms.com, or come and say hello at our Zombie HQ by the Film4 Cinema Tent.

Zombies will also be particularly welcome at the Dereliction Drive-In, a post-apocalyptic drive-in cinema where you can join graffiti gurus Pete Fowler and Kid 30 in pimping your undead ride. Chill out to mixes from beyond the grave from Monsterism, Hexstatic and Osymyso, or add your own ghoulish sounds to the mix with our AudioBoo crew. The culmination of the weekend's life and death antics with be the ceremonial burning of the zombie on Sunday night - a 20m wooden effigy of living death itself, brought to us by The World Famous, the pyrotechnic team behind last year's Big Warm finale.