Size Doesn't Matter BLOG »

by Arsen Ostrovsky

This past week, the International Photography Festival was held in Tel Aviv’s historic Jaffa Port, showcasing over 200 photographers from Israel and around the world.

The event was the first of its kind (and scale) to be held in Tel Aviv, but judging by its runaway success, certainly promises that it will not be the last!

The festival, designed to promote the art of photography in Israel, making it more accessible to the general community, was centred on the theme of exploring the ‘intimate relationship between man and environment’, integrating a wide variety of viewpoints and perceptions from numerous styles and fields of photography.

In addition to exhibitions of artists’ photographic work, the festival also held film screening events, seminars and workshops, intimate discussions with artists and even photographic tours around the picturesque Old City of Jaffa and the Jaffa Port.

There was also a prize awarded in collaboration with Google for the most promising young photographers.

Overall, more than 200 photographers exhibited at the festival, with about 60% from Israel and remainder from around the world, including United States, Europe and even places as far as Australia and Korea.

The fact that the festival was able to bring so many international artists is testament to Tel Aviv’s rapidly growing, diverse and dynamic arts & photography scene – and global respect for Israeli artists.

Approximately 40,000 people attended the festival, which was held during 2-8 October, including both the young and old, professional photographers and aspiring artists and those just looking for inspiration.

I asked Noam Hanegbi, one of the event organizers if he thought the festival was a success. His answer: “yes, just look at the people…they’re happy’”. What more can you ask for!

And with that, it is only appropriate that yours truly (also a budding amateur photographer) took a few photos from the festival. Here’s a small glimpse …

Photos by Arsen Ostrovsky

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