This year the International Photo Festival Head On turns twenty. The Festival, as fans will remember, is held in Sydney and features emerging and established photographers from all over the World. It was founded in 2004 by Moshe Rosenzveig with the first Head On Portrait Award. The Festival is run by the non-profit organization Head On Foundation and takes place across multiple venues, including public and commercial galleries and public outdoor spaces.
The Italian Cultural Institute has been collaborating with the Festival for over a decade, promoting the participation of Italian artists. This collaboration continues in 2024 with the participation of four artists: Andrea Agostini (Nòstos -Homecoming), Giancarlo Zuccarone and Federica Prina (who worked on the same project, Maroc mon amour) and Monia Marchionni (Zanj). As a preview of the Festival, between 31 October(BY INVITATION ONLY) and 6 December, the Institute will host a small collective exhibition in which each project will be represented by three shots for each artist.
The photographers’ complete selections will be then exhibited in the Festival along the Bondi seaside promenade, at Paddington Town Hall and some city galleries, from 8 November to 1 December.
Andrea Agostini received his first camera when he was already twenty-five years old. His first photography project began in Mozambique ten years ago, while working with an NGO focused on education and water innovation projects. Upon returning to Italy, he moved from Veneto to Rome, where he discovered and experimented with street photography. In Rome, he joined the volunteers of Baobab Experience, where he had the opportunity to document issues he deeply cares about: immigration, hospitality, and inclusion. For Agostini, photography immediately became a tool for storytelling and social critique, with his focus being on human beings and their stories, challenges, weaknesses, and contradictions.
Giancarlo Zuccarone is an Italian photographer, a contributor to Art Commerce (Photo Vogue). He graduated in Cinematography and Directing from Roma Tre University in Rome, Italy. His work focuses mainly on travel and street photography, and his photos have appeared in magazines such as National Geographic, Skylife, Life Framer, Dodho Magazine, Eyeshot Magazine, Travel & Leisure. His work has been exhibited in Milan, Rome, London, Brussels, and Miami. In 2022, he began collaborating with photojournalist and graphic designer Federica Prina for the project they are presenting in Sydney, “Maroc mon amour.”
Monia Marchionni is an Italian visual artist and fine art photographer. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna (Italy) and holds a second degree in Humanities and Philosophy, specializing in Contemporary Art History. She has won several important national and international awards. In 2009, she was invited to exhibit at the 53rd Venice Biennale for the collateral exhibition “Krossing” at Forte Marghera. The art magazines “Arte In,” “Juliet,” “Kult,” “Inside Art,” and “Il diario del web” have dedicated articles and interviews to her. Marchionni photographs what she wants to see; the “already seen” becomes the “never seen” with a different framing and imagination, where the boundary between reality and fiction becomes increasingly blurred.
HEAD ON International Photo Festival
08/11 – 01/12 2024 various location Info: https://headon.org.au/festival
HEAD ON ITALIAN ARTISTS
14/11 (BY INVITATION ONLY) – 29/11 2024
IIC – Lev.4, 125 York St, Sydney
