Hein Calvin Akwai haske

The f² Fotofestival for contemporary photography

The f² Fotofestival will take place in Dortmund from June 1st to 11th, 2023 for the fourth time. It stands for contemporary positions and trends in photography and shows selected engaging images from around the world. The festival is monothematic and offers with its numerous exhibitions different perspectives and critical insights on current topics and issues.

Works by renowned photographers and artists as well as by young talents are on display. Each festival edition also includes special participatory projects for photography-loving citizens and communities.

Dortmund and the Ruhr region - a strong location for photography

Supplemented by a varied supporting program (including lectures, workshops, guided tours), the festival offers a platform for new formats and talents and at the same time creates a connection between photographers, curators, media and audience. f² connects numerous institutions such as exhibition and culture houses, training centers, free artist initiatives and associations that enrich the program with their content.

First-class exhibitions of contemporary photography at different exhibition locations, some of which are not accessible in everyday life, and a communicative platform - these are attributes of a successful photo festival, which invites professionals to network and also captivates photo-affine visitors from the region - and beyond. Works by renowned photographers and artists as well as up-coming young artists are shown. Each festival edition also includes special participatory formats for photography-loving citizens and communities.

The aim is the long-term establishment of a regular festival for contemporary photography, which inspires people from the region for photography and connects partners in the Ruhr area with each other. The goal is the identification and enthusiasm of the local people for the f² Fotofestival. The organizer of the festival is Depot e. V. in cooperation with a variety of partners involved. The festival program is curated by established photo professionals.

The expertise of the curators and their selection of the main topic ensure that artistic bracket and the quality of content. There is no festival for contemporary photography in the Ruhr area. f² closes this gap and thus has a unique communication proposition in the region.

One topic, great diversity

Its social relevance is decisive for the overarching festival theme. Each festival edition has a new topic, which is the main focus of all exhibitions. A topic that shapes the current discourse in society, asks questions and gives new impulses and perspectives for thinking. The exhibitions in 2023 are entitled globality.

Always up to date

For impressions of the festival events, current calls for entries and dates, follow the f² Fotofestival on Instagram.

Globality

Following the topics of borders (2017), justice (2019) and identity (2021), the f² Fotofestival 2023 will focus on globality.

Everyday life in a global network - globality as topic of the f² Fotofestival

Global networking is a condition that permeates everyday human life and the reality of life almost irreversibly. Whether economic, political, civil society, information technology, cultural or ecological: the effects of globalization are increasingly locating people in a world community that is linked to one another on a wide variety of levels.

In the course of globalization, the borders and narratives of nationally and culturally delimited spaces have already been undermined and exceeded with regard to merchandise management and information exchange. The idea of globality that develops from this creates the image of a worldwide community in which each individual is integrated through a multitude of networks.

Located in the world, positioned on a regional level - a global community?

One's own life moves increasingly in the field of tension between regionality and globality. Because what is happening in the immediate and local environment can no longer be considered separately from global discourses. The mutual exchange does not necessarily have to lead to the loss of identity concepts and cultural spaces. On the contrary - the openness to see oneself as part of a global society and to contribute specific potential can also lead to its strengthening.

We are currently still a long way from the state of globality, in the sense of an equal exchange that works beyond traditional claims to domination.

Photography as a medium of lively discourse

But the awareness of the global constitution of our existence is already manifested in many discourses in which the challenges for the worldwide community come to light. In the process, new forms of social movements are also forming that illustrate the need for a perspective shaped by diversity for the global future – such as Black Lives Matter, MeToo or Fridays for Future.

As a pictorial medium, photography is significantly involved in the visual negotiation and construction of globality.


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