This year’s edition of the Sopot Festival of Photography (Festiwal w Ramach Sopotu), as in previous years, will feature the projects of three artists who have participated in the photography residency program, already a hallmark of the event, implementing their projects in Sopot. They are bound by virtually no substantive or formal restrictions and have complete freedom in the choice of subject and method of its execution. However, their working methods and approach to interpreting the topics of their choosing share many features associated with the theme of phenomenon. They express the need for a new view of the world, for a new perspective that would be different from the one they adopted before. They seek a new vision of the world so that they can interpret it more accurately. This year we invited to the residency program three artists. They are: Igor Pisuk, who, thanks to the scenery and atmosphere of the place, returned with memories to his childhood years. Tomasz Kawecki, who was fascinated by the subject of Kashubian demonology, exploring how it intermingles with culture and traditions. Søren Lilholt, an artist from Denmark, who, using the philosophy of phenomenology, explored the subjective impact of the medium of photography on his observations and adaptability in a new, unfamiliar space. This year’s Festival will also feature an exceptional number of phenomenal premiere exhibitions, previously not shown to a wider audience. The following artists will hold their solo exhibitions: Kacper Kowalski with his project “Event Horizon,” Hubert Humka with an exhibition titled “Divine” and Patryk Bulhak, who will visit Sopot with a series of photographs entitled “Abandoned Daughters of the Tiger.”
Another solo exhibition, curated by Adam Mazur, will be held by Agnieszka Sejud and one more by an artist under the pseudonym Eva Yarrow. As part of the promotion of young talents, we will present a post-workshop show of students of the Film School in Łódź / PWSFTviT, as well as a collective exhibition of the most interesting photographs by students of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. The eighth edition of Festiwal w Ramach Sopotu includes international guests; this time we invited artists from Denmark as part of the Baltic cooperation: the aforementioned Søren Lilholt, participant in the residency program and the outstanding photographer Trine Søndergaard, who will hold a review exhibition. Another element of the Festival is a collective show Soil Studies, curated by Beate Cegielska at Galeri Image Aarhus.
Maja Kaszkur