Manukau City is hosting a photographic projection event to start the Queen's Birthday weekend launch for the Auckland Festival of Photography 2008.

Manukau Light Night will project work by ten of NZ's foremost contemporary photographers onto Manukau City's Civic Centre and Kotuku House, viewable by the public from Manukau Square. It is first of 56 events and exhibitions in the 5th annual June Festival. Manukau Light Night begins on Friday May 30 from 7pm to 9.30pm.Manukau City is hosting a photographic projection event to start the Queen's Birthday weekend launch for the Auckland Festival of Photography 2008.

Manukau Light Night will project work by ten of NZ's foremost contemporary photographers onto Manukau City's Civic Centre and Kotuku House, viewable by the public from Manukau Square. It is first of 56 events and exhibitions in the 5th annual June Festival. Manukau Light Night begins on Friday May 30 from 7pm to 9.30pm.The event's projection programme will be shown on three screens at 7pm.

Manukau Light Night curator and producer Christopher Johnstone says "Projecting work to such an extreme size gives it a dramatically vivid and powerful effect, providing each photographer a unique opportunity to produce a series of images rising to that challenge."

The artists in "Manukau Light Night" are Edith Amituanai, Amber de Boer, Bruce Connew, Derek Henderson, Glenn Jowitt, Anne Noble, Fiona Pardington, Patrick Reynolds, Harvey Benge, and Wayne Wilson Wong.

Auckland Festival of Photography organiser Julia Durkin says "It's the start of the biggest visual arts Festival in the Auckland region and we are proud to deliver an innovative event that puts photography and Manukau centre stage with an outdoor nighttime event - it's a visual feast, which combines diverse urban landscapes, people and accessible fine art."

"Manukau Light Night" will be a combined programme with images of Manukau taken by photographers from the region, including Manukau School of Visual Arts students, as well as a preview of photography in the Festival 2008 exhibitions. It is sponsored by Manukau City Council, Westfield Manukau, The Lion Foundation and the South Auckland Charitable Trust.

The Auckland Festival of Photography runs from 30 May to 22 June 2008 and includes hundreds of photographers and artists' work to see at 43 participating galleries and venues presenting over 56 exhibitions and events in June.

Image: Otara Market Trader by Steve Pettigrew

Creative Exposure Festival 2008 is supported by key sponsors- Manukau City Council, Waitakere City Council, North Shore City Council, Gravity "Official Coffee Sponsor", Heart of the City, Metro, Olympus, Auckland City Council, New Zealand Post, Triangle TV, Westfield Manukau City. Funding support from Lion Foundation, NZCT, NZ Internet Services, NZJEP, Creative Communities North Shore, Creative Communities Waitakere, Creative Communities Auckland City, Auckland City Council, COGS, South Auckland Charitable Trust and significant support from The ASB Community Trust.

30/05/08