Housing crisis and homelessness highlighted by photojournalists

The power of photography to create social change has been highlighted at the opening event of a month-long photography festival in Auckland.

Jim Ramer and Simone Douglas, both associate professors of photography at Parsons School of Design in New York, led a seminar yesterday at the Auckland Art Gallery on how photojournalism can be an agent of change in society.

“Photojournalism is one of the most powerful tools for addressing social injustice,” said Mr Ramer at the Alexia Foundation for World Peace and Cultural Understanding Through Photojournalism seminar.

The seminar was the first event of the Auckland Festival of Photography, which will showcase works of art from various artists at venues around the city during the month of June, many of which have free entry.

At the event, photojournalists discussed issues of governmental control and poverty both they and their students had encountered during their travels. The discussion led members of the audience to share their own experiences of using photojournalism to highlight the housing crisis and issues of homelessness within Auckland.

The discussion was held on behalf of the Alexia Foundation, which awards monetary grants to exceptional students of photography, and funds projects they are undertaking.

It was founded by the family of Alexia Tsairis who died in the 1998 terrorist bombing in Lockerbie, Scotland. Ms Tsairis was a photography and communications student at the time of her death.

The foundation was named after her, and has awarded over $947,000 USD to 120 different students since its inception.

The photojournalists showcased the work of the latest recipients of the Alexia Foundation grants, which featured the locations and people of Brazil and Colombia.

“Because of work like this, we are able to appreciate how peaceful and free our lives are by comparison,” said Ms Douglas.

Photographer Ben Jung, who is attending the festival as a supporter, said photographers differ from other art forms in a profound way. “We look at life in such detail as one-hundredth of a second,” said Mr Jung.

Ms Douglas also acts as the curator for the entire festival, which is themed ‘Home’.

She intends for the festival to highlight the various meanings ‘Home’ can have to a person, including heritage, return, hope, land and spirit.

The festival will hold events at various locations around Auckland until June 26.