More than 100 exhibitions and events make up 2016’s Auckland Festival of Photography (AFP), with the centrepiece Nikon Auckland Photo Day launching on 11 June,  followed by an exhibition of winning images from 11 years of the competitions in The Cloud on the waterfront (18-24 June). This is the first time the Festival has showcased this work together at this well known public space.

The Auckland Photo Day archive and the international content of 2016’s programme reflect AFP’s success in motivating people to capture images of their Auckland, and AFP’s role in bringing important work by New Zealand and overseas-based photographers to audiences.

“Auckland Photo Day is the longest running photography competition in the region, and we are delighted to continue this 24 hour event with Nikon on board” says AFP public participation director Julia Durkin. “Like our fringe programme, the ‘people’s competition’ reflects a commitment to photography as something everyone can relate to and take part in, as a creative and personal means of expression. As part of the development of the event, this year we are introducing a moving image prize for the best short film, video, time-lapse or multimedia entry.”

“The international connections AFP has built up over time mean we can provide Auckland audiences with a high calibre international programme, evident in this year’s Home themed exhibitions at the Silo, curated by New York based, Simone Douglas” Julia says.

The festival is a platform for the best work produced by New Zealand-based photographers, celebrated in 25 ‘signature’ exhibitions packed into the festival’s compact June 2-24 timeframe - along with 18 ‘talking culture’ events featuring leading international experts from India, China, New Zealand, Singapore, USA and Australia, 44 ‘fringe’ exhibitions and new work by Russ Flatt for the Annual Commission by Sacred Hill.

“AFP is the most significant visual arts event in the New Zealand winter calendar and one of the leading photographic events in the Asia Pacific region,” Julia says. “We invite Aucklanders to engage with the region’s largest free visual arts festival, to see cutting-edge work and engage in photography, the most democratic art form of our times.”

More details of AFP 2016 are available at http://www.photographyfestival.org.nz/programme/index.cfm

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Image is Boy Sees Light by Mareea Paterson, Winner of Auckland Photo Day 2011