The 2020 Head On Photo Festival is back in physical form

After 80,000 people viewed the Head (On)line Festival in May of this year, the Head On Photo Festival is set to return to hosting physical exhibitions in Sydney this month between 9-24 November.

Established in 2008, Head On is a not-for-profit organisation that works to promote the work of photographers; professional and amateur alike. Head On aims to use their Photo Festival and Awards program to increase the accessibility of photography and help raise awareness about important issues, like climate change. 

In response to COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 Head On Photo Festival, which typically takes place in physical form, was showcased online in May this year. 

However now that restrictions have eased, Sydneysiders are invited to visit a number of galleries and public spaces which are showcasing the winning photographs in print. Some of these locations include Gaffa gallery, Disorder gallery, Twenty Twenty Six gallery, Bondi Beach and Paddington Reservoir Gardens.

The exhibitions have been put together with the help of Sony, the Festival's major partner, as well as the support of Waverley and Woollahra local councils. 

Speaking on the announcement, Head On Festival Director Moshe Rosenzveig OAM said, “After our incredibly successful online festival earlier this year we are so excited to be able to present this physical series of beautiful and topical exhibitions.”

“Head On’s international scope and agility as an independent organisation allows us to present world-class exhibitions that place the work of established Australian and internationally recognised artists alongside those of emerging talent. These exhibitions are no different, and we can’t wait to share them, in person, with Sydney.”

Where to find Aussie Photographers  

While the exhibitions showcase a range of works captured by both Australian and International photographers, we thought that you might like to know where you can find the home-grown talent this year. 

Outdoors, along the Bondi Beach promenade you will find Nuclear Landscapes by Australian/ American photographer Brett Leigh Dicks, which is a series that documents abandoned sites in the USA which were connected with atomic energy. 

At the Paddington Reservoir Gardens you will see Paris-based Australian photographer Vee Speer's The Birthday Party, a series of portraits that seek to represent the last days of childhood.

You will also find Neo Pride there, a series captured by Australian photojournalist Jake Nowakowski that showcases four years of violent race rallies in Melbourne.

You can also view Me too!.... where the boys are... the girls are at the Reservoir Gardens. The series is the work of Australian photojournalist Brian Cassey and it documents the activities of a male burlesque group. 

At the newly-opened Twenty Twenty Six Gallery in Bondi, you can see Paper Tigers, which is an exhibition that celebrates Aussie photojournalism and features sixty photographs from sixty different Australian photojournalists. 

Lastly, at the ATLAS Community & Cultural Centre you can see the prolific work of Australian photographer Emmanuel Angelicas. In creating his series of photographs, he has created an in-depth archive of his home suburb, Marrickville. 

To find out more details about the Head On Photo Festival exhibitions taking place this November, check out the Head On website here.