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Core ProgramThe premise for the 2021 Biennale, Past. Tense. Now. saw artists work with the ferociousness of existence, marking the singular moments and ideas that punctuate and transcend time. The curated Core Program of artists navigated the multifaceted relationship photography has with our world, by its use to interpret intimacy, fame, ownership, object and experience into a shared commonality, bringing humanity into a distinctive focus. Outdoor ProgramThe 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale’s Outdoor Program immersed the city in a world of photographic art, transforming the streets, laneways, shopfronts and landmark buildings into exhibition spaces. The Outdoor Program invigorated the city, allowing 24/7 access for audiences to engage photographic art at every turn, revealing new and exciting parts of Ballarat along the way. Open ProgramThe 2021 Open Program presented more exhibitions than ever before, featuring 105 artists with 82 exhibitions across 75 venues – introducing photographic art to surprising corners of Ballarat and surrounds. For the duration of the extended festival and beyond, the Open Program transformed Ballarat’s cafes, bars, businesses, hotels and laneways into pop-up gallery spaces and an immersive arts experience. Digital ProgramThe 2021 Digital Program delivered an engaging digital experience, translating selected exhibitions into the virtual realm, alongside online conversation events for geographically dispersed audiences including those in lock-down. This expanded previous festival offerings to provide pathways for digital engagement at a time when attending the festival was not possible for a major portion of our audiences. Events ProgramThe Event Program enriched the 2021 Biennale through a series of unique events, workshops, symposia, and industry talks, in-person and online. In 2021, artist talks and panel discussions shifted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing restrictions. Despite this, BIFB continued to provide opportunities for photographers and artists to investigate and grow within the art form through artist talks, panel discussions, guided walks with experts in their field, masterclasses and more.
