DJ Spooky’s immersive “Sinfonia Antarctica” should be a highlight of the 2012 New York Photo Festival
NEW YORK PHOTO FESTIVAL 2012
powerHouse Arena (37 Main St.) and other locations throughout Dumbo
May 16-20, free – $20
nyph.at
The fifth annual New York Photo Festival takes place throughout Dumbo beginning with the vernissage May 16, followed by four days open to the general public. Although admission to all exhibits is free, a $15 ticket (in advance, $20 on-site) is good for presentations and receptions, food samples, and various local discounts. NYPH ’12 features four guest curators. Glenn Ruga’s “On the Razor’s Edge: Between Documentary and Fine Art Photography” consists of works by Bruce Davidson, Reza, Eugene Richards, Rina Castelnuovo, and Platon at powerHouse Arena. Also at pH Arena, Claude Grunitzky’s “The Curse and the Gift” looks at photography as a way of life, with work from Evangelia Kranioti, Irmelie Krekin, and Christian Witkin. At 56 Water St. and pH Arena, Amy Smith-Stewart’s “What Do You Believe In” collects multidisciplinary images from such artists as Jen DeNike, Hank Willis Thomas, Xaviera Simmons, and Daniel Gordon, examining at how photography is a forum for ideology. And DJ Spooky’s “Sinfonia Antarctica (The Book of Ice)” takes place out on the streets, with digital media, live performances, sculpture, and more. Satellite and affiliate shows include “Tokyo-Ga” and “PRC in NYC” at 111 Front St., “The Art of Documentary” at pH Arena, “Liberty and Justice (for All): A Global Photo Mosaic” honoring Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros at VII Gallery, Jeanette May and Jocelyn Chase’s “Creature Features” at A.I.R. Gallery, Rania Matar’s “A Girl and Her Room” at Umbrage Gallery, Andrew Frost’s “The Northeast Kingdom” at United Photo Industries, “Ken Rosenthal: Photographs 2001-2009” and “Vojtech V. Slama: Wolf’s Honey” at Klompching Gallery, “America” at Generation Gallery, and Robin Bowman’s “It’s Complicated ― The American Teenager” at spring. The festival will also host workshops, tutorials, gallery talks, lectures, book signings, and panel discussions; among the highlights are “What Do You Believe In” with Smith-Stewart, DeNike, Simmons, and Matthew Spiegelman (May 17, 3:00); “On the Razor’s Edge: Form and Content in Documentary Photography” with Ruga, Davidson, Lori Grinker, Platon, and Reza (May 17, 7:00); “The Curse and the Gift” with Grunitzky, Kranioti, Krekin, and Witkin (May 18, 3:00); an immersion experience by DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid (May 18, 8:00); “Tokyo-Ga” with Naoko Ohta, Haruna Kawanishi, Yasutaka Kojima, and Corinne Tapia (May 19, 2:00); and Adriana Teresa in conversation with Erin Trieb (May 19, 3:00).