FESTIVAL FOREWORD

photomonth has now become the largest photography festival in the UK. With over 100 exhibitions and events taking place in more than 60 galleries and spaces, featuring up to 500 photographers,photomonth gives recognition to photography as a dominant medium in contemporary art. The many extraordinary photographs encountered show artists articulating current concerns around global issues and creating challenging new experimental and constructed imagery.

This year photomonth is running a photofair in the Spitalfields Traders Market providing the opportunity for a dozen photographers a day to show their work. The photomonth lecture will be given by Tom Hunter and the popular portfolio reviews take place over two days at the Whitechapel. The photo-open will be held in the Dray Walk Gallery, Old Truman Brewery, and the photomonth seminar will discuss ‘Photography Now!’ There is also a new programme of photomonth workshops at London Metropolitan University and Shoot Experience is arranging another photographic treasure hunt, this time around Spitalfields.

For 2008 photomonth is linking with Chobi Mela V the International Festival of Photography in Dhaka, Bangladesh, directed by Shahidul Alam of Drik Picture Library and images will be exchanged at the photo-open via Flickr.

photomonth celebrates the importance of photography as a means of expression and demonstrates its diversity. Exhibitions examine war, modern slavery, hidden human catastrophes, acknowledging the vital role played by photojournalists; and explore the urban environment, our racially mixed communities, feelings of loss, struggle, conflict and survival and raise questions about representation and photography. There is work challenging bourgeois culture, revealing shabeens and drag queens, absent history, domestic routine, carnival and religion, the metaphysical and the mysterious, and the changing face of East London.

With an international line-up of photographers and support from major institutions such as the Whitechapel Art Gallery, Barbican Art Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood, the Geffrye Museum and London Metropolitan University, and many independent galleries, photomonth offers a comprehensive programme of talks and events designed to promote interest and participation in contemporary photography.

photomonth is grateful for the support of Alternative Arts, Flickr, Hammersons, Host, I Am Human, Photoworks, Shoot Experience, Shoreditch Map Co, Spitalfields, theprintspace, Tower Hamlets Council, Whitechapel Art Gallery.

photomonth is produced by alternative arts
Top Studio, Montefiore Centre, Hanbury Street, London E1 5HZ
+44 (0)20 7375 0441 info@alternativearts.co.uk www.alternativearts.co.uk