90 Top Photographers, Over 700 Images to Capture Imaginations at Xposure 2018

Xposure is a reminder that those with the power of the camera have a responsibility to use it for the good of humanity.

Tariq Saeed Allay: The festival has developed a plethora of exhibitions, events and activities to be displayed for public viewing and engagement across six destinations (in Dubai and Sharjah). 

For immediate release
Sharjah, October 17, 2018

Exciting details of this year’s International Photography Festival Xposure 2018 were revealed at a press conference today (Wednesday) by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB). The popular four-day festival dedicated to celebrating everything ‘photography’ will be held in the UAE’s cultural capital ,  at Expo Centre Sharjah  on November 21, and will be hosting 90 celebrated photographers from around the world. The exhibition will also become home to an internationally acclaimed selection of 600 photographs that will be displayed in 30 individual exhibitions, along with another 120 images curated in six collective exhibitions representing a diversity of themes and exceptional artistry.

SGMB, the organiser, has announced that the Xposure 2018 platform will be used for 18 interactive panel discussions that will see the participation of celebrated photography experts and leading photography companies. A hub of creativity and learning for aspiring, intermediate-level, and advanced-level photographers, the festival has dedicated 16photography workshops and specialised courses that will deliver latest know-how of photography techniques, including framing, lighting, selection of themes, drone photography, and more.  

The press conference was held at Al Majaz Amphitheatre in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council, and HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau. On the sidelines of the conference, photographer Ali Al Sharif displayed  historical pictures from his collection dating back to the period of the royal rule in Egypt, and presented some old books on the history of photography and magazines in the Arab world.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi,Chairman of Sharjah Media Council,said: “The Sharjah International Photography Festival Xposure not only celebrates the technique behind a great photo, but explores the unique ability of the photographer to make a memorable moment and add aesthetic appeal and meaning to its message. The festival is a reminder that those with the power of the camera have a responsibility to use it for the good of humanity. The festival also uncovers the stories behind a memorable picture, the act of capturing it, which often exposes the photographer to several dangers, and even life risks, as they fulfil their commitment to communicate important stories to the world.

He added: “It is also a celebration of the culture that gave birth to the photograph and has nourished its development since. This is because we can never separate a photo from the culture within which it is taken – be it representative of the mindset of the photographer or the prevailing social culture. Therefore, we emphasise that what really identifies the function of a photograph is the culture of the photographer, the site that published it and the note written on its back.”

Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of SGMB, highlighted the efforts of Sharjah to design the festival to not only offer memorable experiences to the general public, but to evolve as an ideal platform for photographers from around the world to meet, network, exchange expertise and work together to promote creativity and spread the noble humanitarian message of photography.  

He pointed out that the number of entries to Xposure’s International Photography Competition has increased by 35% compared to 2017. The competition has received more than 13,500 entries from 112 countries across its ten categories, including Travel Photography, Macro Photography, Photo Manipulation, Photojournalism, Street Photography, Best of the Emirates, Junior Category, and Architectural Photography, as well as the new categories this year, Short Film and Sharjah Government Employees.

New festival feature: Focus groups 

For the first time, Xposure 2018 will be organising free focus groups, which will be headed by the likes of Sir Don McCullin, Keith Berr and David Burnett, who will be engaging interested amateur and professional photographers in small groups and review their portfolios.  

Timothy Allen Photography Scholarship Award(TAPSA)

One of the festival’s premier features, the Timothy Allen Photography Scholarship Award (TAPSA), which offers its winners a 10-day residency programme, including an intensive location workshop with multi-award-winning travel photographer Timothy Allen, received 1,529 applications from 70 countries, compared to 1,076 entries last year. The five winners of this edition of the scholarship were announced during the Timothy Allen live broadcast on 
October 11. 

They are UK’s Dan Giannopoulos (@dan_gian), whose winning portfolio included a selection of singles covering Central and South America; Ranita Roy from India (@ranita3roy), with a surreal  portrayal of the samskara ‘Upanayanam’; Linus Escandor II (@linusescandor), whose image of the 8,077-foot high Mayon Volcano won him the scholarship; Stephanie Foden (@stephaniephoden) from Canada for her portrayal of Salvador Da Bahia, which was once considered the largest slave trade port in the Americas; and Sharafat Ali (@ibnali10) from India, whose gripping portal of the innumerable lives lost in Kashmir captured the jury’s imagination. 

Allay noted that several local and international entities engaged in creative arts and photography will return to the festival this year. These include Emirates Photography Society (EPS), Union of Arab Photographers (UoAP), World Press Photo (WPP), Associated Press (AP), Photographic Society of America (PSA) and National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year.

“21 companies and institutions specialising in photo production and camera manufacturing, including HotCold Studio, Fujifilm Global, Dolce Vita, Tenaui, Cannon, Gulf Color Film Labs, Sony, Advanced Media, Third Eye Photo and Media Production, Grand Stores, ARRI Middle East, Phoenix Technologies and Nikon, will be using the Xposure platform to showcase their new technologies and services to photographers and the general public,” he added. 

Outdoor exhibitions and events 15-21 November – Dubai and Sharjah 

“The festival has developed a plethora of exhibitions, events and activities to be displayed for public viewing and engagement across six destinations. The destinations include the Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira, the Dubai Mall and City Walk in Dubai; and the Zero 6 Mall and Al Majaz Waterfront in the emirate of Sharjah,” noted the SGMB Director.  

Unveiling the details of the ‘Emerging Photographer’ exhibition, Allay said: “The festival has dedicated an Emerging Photographer initiative to attract promising young talents in the field, and promote their art by showcasing their works alongside those of the veterans in the field.”

New Exhibitions – ‘Melting Memories’ by Rafik Anadol & ‘360 Degrees’ Studio 

Xposure 2018 will showcase augmented data sculptures and light projections by media artist Rafik Anadol. It is the first time that his large-scale works ‘Melting Memories’ will come to the region and take viewers inside the human brain. 

Another interesting technology innovation in the photography field will be brought to Xposure 2018 by visual artist Eric Paré, who will engage the audience in a sensory experience by manipulating time, light and space through the bullet-time photography technique.

Art for a cause

Most of the art displayed at Xposure 2018 will be sold to art buyers and collectors and the proceeds will go to charities and non-profit entities.