Photoworks is undertaking two major international commissions for the fourth Brighton Photo Biennial, this year curated by Martin Parr. Acclaimed photographers Rinko Kawauchi and Alec Soth will each be producing new works in response the city of Brighton & Hove.

 

Rinko Kawauchi has been drawn to the spectacle of flocking starlings at Brighton Pier. Here during the winter months at dusk, the birds gather in their tens of thousands, wheeling around to create a mesmerizing swirling cloud called a murmuration. Kawauchi is fascinated by the ephemeral nature of this phenomenon and, continuing with the theme of the flock, she has trailed groups of people around the city. Kawauchi’s commission is supported by funding from The Japan Foundation, The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.

 

For his Photoworks commission, American photographer Alec Soth has made work in collaboration with his young daughter Carmen whilst walking around Brighton & Hove. Like much of his previous work, this photographic journey combines poetic and documentary sensibilities, each photograph and idea leading to the next. People, places and objects are woven amongst local newspaper headlines. Serendipity is at play as text and image combine to make uncanny connections and provide a captivating portrait of a city.

 

Each body of work will be shown as part of the Biennial’s keynote exhibition at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, 2 October – 14 November 2010, alongside work by Stephen Gill commissioned by The Archive of Modern Conflict. The projects will also feature as folios in the Autumn Winter 2010 issue of Photoworks.

 

Photoworks Head of Projects, Celia Davies, says, 'This is a first for each artist – to be offered a UK commission – Photoworks is delighted to offer this opportunity and we’re enjoying supporting the artists in the production of their work.' BPB 2010: New Documents  Curator, Martin Parr, adds, 'Established names like Rinko and Alec's compliment those of emerging artists represented in the BPB and I knew each would relish the opportunity to respond to this vibrant city. They have produced exciting results, and again demonstrate the power of the personal vision that can be discovered through photography.'

 

 

 

Photoworks embraces all kinds of photography. Collaborating with a broad range of photographers, artists and organisations, we produce exhibitions and books, publish the biannual magazine Photoworks and work educationally. Our diverse programme of activities encourages debate, inspires new thinking about photographic culture and reaches out to the widest possible audience.

 

 

 

Since 2003, Brighton Photo Biennial has established itself as one of the most important celebrations of international photography in Europe delivering a series of challenging and stimulating events for both the general public and art specialists. The Biennial presents the work of international artists from a range of cultural backgrounds, commissioning new work, premiering recent work and exhibiting historical work in new contexts.

 

 

Rinko Kawauchi (b 1972, Shiga, Japan)

 

This Photoworks commission is Rinko Kawauchi’s first in the UK and is supported by funding from The Japan Foundation, The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and The Daiwa Anglo – Japanese Foundation.

 

 

 

Alec Soth (b. 1969. Minneapolis, USA)

Based in the city of his birth, Alec Soth, has received several major fellowships from the Bush McKnight and Jerome Foundations and was awarded the 2003 Santa Fe Prize for Photography. His work is represented in major public and private collections, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis. Soth’s photographs have featured in numerous exhibitions including the 2004 Whitney and Sao Paulo Biennials. His first monograph, Sleeping by the Mississippi, was published by Steidl in 2004 to critical acclaim. Since then Soth has published NIAGARA (2006), Fashion Magazine (2007), Dog Days, Bogota (2007) and The Last Days of W (2008). Soth is represented by Gasogian Gallery in New York and Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis. He is a member of Magnum Photos.

 

This Photoworks commission is Alec Soth’s first in the UK