festival intro
Photography played a crucial role in making Apartheid visual to
a wider public outside South Africa. This photography was
pre-dominantly photo-journalistic in style and portrayed the
injustices of the oppressive political system.
Today in the post-apartheid era photography is continuing to play a
central role in defining South Africa, now with a written
constitution and voting rights for all. The styles of photography
might be similar to what we might see in any European magazine or
gallery, it is documentary and fine art in approach, but the unique
issues facing South Africa give contemporary photography urgency
with the possibilities and difficulties of redefining this new
nation. Now with the need to create different historical narrative
that recognises the Apartheid and colonial periods, but also
looking forward to a different national identity based on equality
for all.
Because photography is playing such a central role in defining a
national identity that it may be the photography being produced in
South Africa today is some of the most exciting you might find
anywhere in the world. For this reason the Hereford Photography
Festival will showcase the work of both established and younger
South African photographers.
photographers included in the festival
- Lien Botha's landscape photographs
- Stan Engelbrecht's great project African Salad on the food
people eat in South Africa
- Pieter Hugo's portraits of people who live on the border of
South Africa and Zimbabwe
- David Lurie's project on life in Cape Town tilted Images of
Table Mountain
- A project from the Market Photo Workshop looking at the
trade between South Africa and other African counties
- Rene-Paul Savignan looking at religions groups on
trains
- Andrew Tshabangu long-term project on black
spirituality
Also included in the Festival programme are David Graham's
portraits of visitors to the Courtyard Arts Centre, images of food
from youth groups across Herefordshire and students work from
Hereford Art College.
venues and contacts
Venues for the festival include Hereford Cathedral, Hereford
Museum & City Art Gallery, Hereford College of Art, and The
Courtyard Centre for the Arts and 3 Blackfriars Street.
Contact details for more information are Telephone +44 (0) 1432
351964 and e mail
enquiries@photofest.org