Cover Exposure+ Photo Festival media launch (Photo: Sabrina Zainuddin/All is Amazing)
Exposure+ Photo Festival media launch (Photo: Sabrina Zainuddin/All is Amazing)
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Get ready for Kuala Lumpur’s most exciting photography event—brought to you by Exposure+, a platform for photographers and lovers of photography from all walks of life
20 artists, 10 locations, and 10 days—brought to you by Exposure+, an independent grassroots initiative that aims to welcome and unite communities who share a love for visual storytelling, their second inaugural event, the Exposure+ Photo festival, is looking to be bigger than the last. Having just had their media launch on September 21st, their latest lineup includes local talents and international ones whose works aren’t limited to just photography but a variety of lens-based media.
Much like last year, the festival is led by an overarching theme, with this year’s being “A Different Light”, which was revealed to be inspired by a WhatsApp conversation between co-founders Nadirah Zakariya and Steven Lee. Visitors to the festival’s multi-exhibition format can expect not only photography and videography projects that contain a profound sense of depth but also presentations and talks by industry professionals, gallery walkthroughs by the festival’s participating artists, portfolio reviews, workshops, night street projections, a photobook event, and late-night parties you wouldn't want to miss.
Whether you’re a fellow photographer, a hobbyist, or a lover of photography, join the fun—below are the many highlights happening during the 10-day festival.
Read also: Nadirah Zakariya—The art of framing for beginner photographers
1. September 22nd - October 1st: Exhibitions across KL
From GMBB KL, The Zhongshan Building, RexKL, Triptyk to Kloé hotel, and more creative landmarks in the city centre, visitors can hop from one venue to another and enjoy the works created by the 20 participating artists.
Notable names in the roster are: Justin Ray Ren Zhi, whose work will be exhibited at The Zhongshan Building and speaks of adulthood, loss, and nostalgia; Shan Shan Lim, a multidisciplinary textiles artist who will be exhibiting her work at Kantata, which discusses the experience of the merging between two identities and transcendental journey of seeking the self.
Additionally, from September 30th till October 1st, a photobook exhibition will be hosted at RexKL’s BookXcess, where a selection of photozines and books by Malaysian artists from the PhotoBookClub Kuala Lumpur will be open for public viewing.
2. September 23rd - September 24th: Gallery walkthroughs
RexKL, GMBB KL and Kampung Attap visitors can be led around the block by exhibiting photographers as they take you through the processes and hidden stories behind their body of work; starting from 1.30pm onwards, photographers Sinsee Ho, Chen Long Wen, Nicholas Sheum, Theyvapaalan Jayaratnam, Alvin Wong Boon Jun, and Aiman Saror, Shan Shan Lim and Justin Tay Ren Zhi will be found on the premises of these three artist walk locations.
3. September 24th: Portfolio reviews by experts
Held at the Kloé hotel, renowned photographers and critics from Malaysia and beyond will be providing local photographers an opportunity to have their work critiqued and assessed in a 20-minute, one-on-one session. Notable names include photographers Nadirah Zakariya, Steven Lee, SC Shekar, Agence France-Presse’s (AFP) chief photographer for East Africa and the Indian Ocean Yasuyoshi Shiba, renowned photography critic and curator Benedetta Donato, and many more established individuals in the scene.
To date, registrations are still open, and photographers can have their work reviewed by a reviewer of their choice.
4. September 22nd, 23rd, 26th: The Rozou Project
Happening on the night of the 22nd onwards is the Rozou Project Street Projections, founded by Japanese street photographer Tadashi Onishi, who, on the streets of Shinjuku, Tokyo, used a series of projections that coloured the walls of city streets. And in Kuala Lumpur, the Rozou Project will take place in three sessions against the backdrops of Kuala Lumpur's streets and alleyways. While the first projection is near the Mingle Cafe sidewalk from 8pm to 9pm onwards, remember to keep tabs on the Exposure+ webpage and social media platforms to know where the projections will be held.
5. September 23rd, 24th, 30th and October 1st: Industry expert talks
- September 23rd; GMBB KL: Kickstarting their opening weekend with a keynote presentation held by international figures Carol Körting and Benedetta Donato, both photography powerhouses will be sharing valuable insider insights on topics personal and professional.
- September 23rd; Triptyk, Kampung Attap: Detailing about how contemporary photography has been inspired by or are referenced from Old Master paintings from the Western European tradition, art historian Melissa Baksh will guide her audience and reveal how present-day culture continues to be informed by paintings from the past.
- September 24th; temu house: Penang-based photographer Antoine Loncle will be presenting his recent exhibition at temu house, Devil’s Curry, a photographic exploration about a Serani identity living in Malaysia's multi-racial society portrayed through archival images and recent portraiture.
- October 1st; Kantata KL: Alia Soraya, founder and editor-in-chief of Mulazine, will be giving a talk on the value visual culture in journalism and story-telling.
6. September 24th, 28th, 30th, and October 1st: Photowalks and workshops
- September 24th, 28th; BookXcess, RexKL: Exploring the Revived Past sees visitors joining KL-based photographer Azul Adnan on a walk through some of the city’s iconic streets and alleys, appreciating KL’s heritage and architecture through the lens of one of Malaysia’s expert freelance photographers.
- September 30th; Studio, Kloé hotel: Join sunprint artist and educator Balqis Tajalli as you create exquisitely beautiful blue prints with only the power of the sun. This paid workshop will provide you all the materials that you need for making the cyanotype prints.
- October 1st; Triptyk, Kampung Attap: Daniel Adams, a creative photographer known for his unique conceptualisations, will be hosting a practical workshop about taking concept to print. Sharing the processes and workflow of conceptualising a shoot, realising it and the ins-and-outs of creative post production, Adams will guide participants as they will be required to photograph a model according to concepts given on the day of the workshop. Participants are required to bring their own cameras to attend this workshop.
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Usually found at home and one with her couch, Koy Yi would either crack open a good book or game in her spare time to wind down after a long day. She also loves to scour art conventions and book fairs alike when she's able, collecting art books of all regions to gain inspiration for her own illustrations. With a keen interest in people and the stories they tell, she enjoys a good talk and a good laugh (preferably over food). Follow her on her Instagram @peiyi57.
