FOKUS AWARD 2020 – "ISOLATION"

11th Edition. 18 September 2020 / at 19:00

"Vilson Kilica" Art Gallery, Fier, Albania

Robert Frank insisted that a photograph must necessarily contain something important within it, which he defined as the humanity of the moment. Isolation is the theme of the 11th edition of the Fokus Award photography festival, a theme that invites us toward something we neither should nor wish to avoid at all, precisely because it contains within it the humanity of the moment.

"FOKUS AWARD" thus reaches its 11th edition, crowning the annual competition organised with the participation of hundreds of Albanian photographers, both local and, likewise, many photographers and art lovers from around the world. The difficult moment we find ourselves in makes us even more responsible for organising events of this kind, which are already increasingly rare, yet increasingly important for Albanian art and culture. This year, the curatorial group, with the public call announced in June 2020, invited photographers to take part based on a clear and contemporary concept. For those familiar with photography, ISO is the standard measure of a camera's sensitivity, which the photographer is used to controlling and bending to their advantage. By contrast, forced isolation, as a state bordering on clinical pathology, is not an acceptable standard of living, has never been one, and never will be. It is not by chance that escape from a regime of confinement is an immediate human reflex, and in this light we need not necessarily feel like Alexandre Dumas to continue telling humanity the drama of this situation, unique in history, which we all hope will never be repeated.

It's also worth stressing that photography has contributed to helping humanity cope with physical and social isolation, thanks in part to images from photographers' archives, which constantly reminded us of the life flowing outside the walls, like an unstoppable river, almost separate from the suspended state of the moment. This is a time of deep reflection for artists, because the role of art is precisely one of sensitivity and of showing. Through these two diametrically opposed standards, photographers can show, with all their sensitivity, in their own isolation, what the role of the photographer is in such a situation — between form, ethics and aesthetics — in relation to yesterday, today and tomorrow. The ability to renew oneself, to always stay a step ahead of society and to accompany it by giving it a vision and a hope even when everything seems to be heading toward catastrophe — this is another force that drives the photographer to keep showing that the sensitivity of their camera's sensor is entirely in service of their own human and artistic sensitivity.

Peter Lindbergh once said: – "Photography gives you the chance to use your sensitivity and your being, to say something and to become part of the world around you. In this way, you may discover who you are, and with a bit of luck, you may discover something much bigger than yourself". Fokus Award, as a genuine festival, has over the years continuously been a showcase and an expression of the strength, complexity and fragility of Albanian photography, with a broad community of artists around it, but even more, with a clear flow of thoughts, ideas and debates around artistic sensitivity and the humanity of the moment

PARTICIPANTS: Emad Abass – England / Armand Habazaj – Albania / Ahmed Androvic – Turkey / Richard Arbas – USA / Boro Arsovski – North Macedonia / Ernest Baba – Albania / Ergys Baki – Albania / Eris Baki – Albania / Goran Boricic – Montenegro / Edvin Çelo – Albania / Igor Coko – Serbia / Spencer Cunningham – USA / Vigan Demiri – North Macedonia / Mariposa Fa – Switzerland / Eno Gaçe – Albania / Ileana Gega – Germany / Eduart Gjino – Albania / Bardha Goga – Kosovo / Hasti Hahdavi – Iran / Besnik Hamiti – Kosovo / Majid Hojati – Iran / Eliza Hoxha – Kosovo / Milan Hristev – Bulgaria / Camelia Jarabi – Iran / Ognjen Karabegovic – Croatia / Uran Krasniqi – Kosovo / Stepan Kucheriavy – Ukraine / Niksa Lalin – Croatia / Max De Martino – Italy / Ksenja Maxhari – Albania / Mariola Moçka – Albania / Agon Nimani – Kosovo / Olsi Qazimi – Albania / Vasil Qesari – France / Hazir Reka – Kosovo / Shkelzen Rexha – Kosovo / Ilir Riza – USA / Inda Sela – Albania / Igor Stepanitch – Russia / Gent Shkullaku – Albania / Elvin Shahu – Albania / Rozafa Shpuza – Albania / Kushtrim Ternava – Kosovo / Jetmir Troshani – Albania / Enea Verija – Albania / Gabriele Zani – Italy.

The winner of the "FOKUS AWARD 2020" PRIZE receives a monetary value of $1000.

ORGANISED BY: "Albania Fokus Centre" / With the Financial Support of: the Municipality of Fier and BenArt Print/ In partnership with the Fier Art Gallery, the Antik Association and EJAlbum / Artistic Director: Arben Alliaj / Project Manager: Saimir Ahmeti / Curatorial Board: Burim Myftiu, Osman Demiri, Elton Koritari. The competition jury will be announced at the opening of the exhibition.

We are pleased to invite you to the opening of the exhibition, which will remain open for two weeks. At the close of the exhibition opening, Fokus Award holds the awards ceremony along with a festive dinner with the participating artists, personalities, journalists and numerous art lovers.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Some photos from Fokus Award 2019:

# 2020, Fier, Fokus Award, ISOlation