The Brighton Photo Biennial is a series of free exhibitions displayed throughout Brighton. They all follow the theme of 'A New Europe' and look at political issues such as Brexit.
Uta Kogelsberger - Uncertain Subjects Part II
This was a single billboard shown in Jubilee Square which posted multiple images of people over each other. Each image only showed the head and bare shoulders and was very stripped back. Each person showed is someone who feels they are alienated from their own country and the reason behind the project was to "give a voice to those who feel they are not being heard in the current Brexit negotiations". Each person will be negatively affected by what is happening within the political negotiations and they do not have a say in what will happen to them.
Emeric Lhuisset - L'Autre
This exhibition was a series of cyanotypes, which eventually all became completely blue, representing the every changing and unfixed Europe and the political changes regarding Brexit. Lhuisset took pictures of all his friends which were immigrants to this country and photographed them in their everyday lives, in a diaristic way. Because the images will finally disappear it could show how these people, whose lives are in the middle of uncertainty, may have things taken away from them, such as their British citizenship. Many things that these people are familiar to will disappear, much like the cyanotypes. This was my favourite exhibition because the meaning behind it was very powerful and made you think about how politics are really effecting peoples lives. It feels a lot more personal because you are looking into peoples everyday lives and you feel more of a connection then in any other exhibition.
Harley Weir - Homes
The exhibition was displayed in a church and showed photographs taken of the destruction of the refugee camp in Calais, nicknamed 'The Jungle'. The lives of these refugees were torn apart, like the place they had been living in and had become accustomed to. This meant that the refugees were left displaced from society and didn't have anywhere to live. There is a high level of contrast between the images and their location, with the church offering religion and hope, while the images show destruction of a place and many peoples lives. It can show how even religion can't save people from the devastation of what is happening within the world and the hope people will have been holding onto through their religion may have been taken away.