Ballarat International Foto Biennale facts for kids

The Ballarat International Foto Biennale Inc (BIFB) is a not-for-profit organisation. Held every two years, the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Australia’s leading contemporary photographic event is a 60-day festival in Ballarat in regional Victoria, Australia. that delivers a program of two major photographic exhibition streams: a curated Core Program showcasing acclaimed domestic and international artists and an Open Program that fosters the development of new artists. It is a member of the Asia Pacific Photoforums.

History

Jeff Moorfoot was the first director of a photography festival that started in Daylesford in 2007 which in 2009 moved to the Central. Victorian regional city of Ballarat, where it has remained.

The current Artistic Director and CEO is Fiona Sweet. In 2018 Sweet envisioned a centre for photographic excellence in Ballarat, she is now also the Director at the National Centre for Photography, Australia’s newest and only regional gallery dedicated exclusively to photography.

Organisation

BIFB comprises two major exhibition programs including the Core Program, curated biennale exhibition of 20 leading Australian and international photographic artists, presented in eight heritage buildings in Ballarat. The Core Program is complemented by an open entry Fringe Program, a city‐wide presentation of over 200 artists staged in more than 80 venues including cafes and galleries, throughout project spaces, and across public sites.

These exhibitions are complemented by an extensive Events Program that encourages the active participation of the general public and photographic practitioners of all levels through its program of workshops, seminars, audio‐visual projections, master‐classes, artist floor‐talks, portfolio reviews, an education program and photographic competitions and prizes.

In 2021, under the auspice of Photo2021 the 9th Ballarat International Foto Biennale will showcased a Linda McCartney retrospective.

Impact

In 2017, which was Sweet's inaugural year as Creative Director, the Biennale drew an audience of over 26,800, contributing an economic impact of $3.89 million to the local economy with the celebrated American artist David LaChappelle as the headline artist. In 2019 the Biennale drew more than 37,000 visitors with an injection of $7.8 million into the city’s economy and invited artists, curators and audiences to question, explore and be changed by art. Sweet successfully invited Chinese artist Liu Bolin as the headline artist, exhibiting his Camouflage series – highlighting critical works from the past 15 years of Bolin’s creative output.