PHOTO 2022

PHOTO 2022 International Festival of Photography revolved around one epic theme: ‘Being Human’. We invited artists, photographers, curators and academics to unpack what it means to be human today: what shapes are identity, what unites us, and what makes us unique as individuals. We took audiences on a journey through life (and the afterlife) to discover different lived experiences, First Nations cultures, queer stories, and digital identities along the way.

The Festival consisted of a trail of 90 exhibitions at galleries across Victoria as well as iconic outdoor locations in Melbourne—from Southbank Promenade and the courtyard of the Old Melbourne Gaol to Prahran Market and the steps of Old Treasury Building. As well as the most exciting emerging and established Australian artists, PHOTO 2022 featured exclusive presentations by outstanding international artists such as Gillian Wearing, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Mohamed Bourouissa, Luo Yang, Poulomi Basu, Martine Gutierrez, Aziz Hazara and Vasantha Yogananthan.

We celebrated two icons of photography: Cindy Sherman was honoured with our largest single artwork to date, and fashion photography legend Helmut Newton was revisited in an exhibition surveying his life and work.

The artistic program sat alongside events, education and professional development programs including our free PHOTO Live talks and Photobook Weekend, as well as a series of curated tours and much more.