GPP Slidefest VI

Join us Wed, Feb 8th at 7pm in the Dubai Knowledge Village Auditorium for GPP Slidefest.  Entrance is FREE and no registration is required.  Come at 7pm to mix and mingle with fellow photography enthusuists, presentations start at 7:30pm sharp.  The sixth edition of GPP Slidefest serves up eight compelling photography projects by the following presenters:

Ammar Al Attar
Arezu
Mansoor Bhatti and
Noush Like Sploosh
Lee Hoagland
Nikolai Kozak
Shahid Mohammed
Golnaz Olya
Silvia Razgova
 

In case you haven't attended one before, GPP Slidefest is an evening of photography presentations (digitally projected) by local and regionally based artists, showing original work that takes the form of a central theme or narrative.  

Each presenter has roughly 5 minutes to introduce their personal project, after which the audience is welcome to ask questions and generate further discussion.  The time limit keeps things moving, and offers an opportunity to show a variety of work throughout the evening.

From the humble beginnings of GPP Slidefest, in a small room a couple of years ago, GPP Slidefest has grown into it's own entity with an audience that can number in the hundreds.  It's a good thing the Dubai Knowledge Village auditorium is huge!

Projects introduced at this edition of GPP Slidefest range from photojournalism and fine art photography to stop motion music videos and more.  Included below are further details related to each individual presentation.

 

Ammar Al Attar 
Shooting in his home country here in the UAE, Al Attar's series titled Spare Parts focuses on scrap yards full of countless automotive parts.  Stacked skye high, the abundance of items speaks of the exaggerated the auto industry and also the people who work within it.  Click here for his website.
 
 
Arezu
Arezu's work, titled Trespassing is rooted in concepts of obscurity and ambiguity.  Vague portraits represent a desire to be, but not seeking to be seen or to be paid attention to.  The crow in her work expresses her fascination with the freedom of flying and anonymity.   Click here for more about Arezu.
 
 
Mansoor Bhatti and Noush Like Sploosh
Presenting a collaborative project, Bhatti and Noush will describe their photographic approach to the stop motion video for song "3 Act Circus" by Noush Like Sploosh.  The music video which was released in March of last year was accepted later that year into the Gulf Film Festival.  More can be found here.
 
 
Lee Hoagland
This body of work examines the life of undocumented immigrants living in an abandoned factory in Paris. Immigration is a massive issue in Europe, and particularly in France, where many believe it has reached a stalemate.  Click here for his website.
 
 
Nikolai Kozak
Kozak will present a a study of Umm Al Quwain titled Forgotten.  In black and white, the photos depict daily life in the emirate introducing fundamental social forces at play on a local, and daily, level.   Recent founder of NYUAD Photographic Society, more about Kozak can be found here.
 
 
Shahid Mohammed
Where the majority us find ourselves locked into the link of modern technology, Mehrab lives his life at the other end of the spectrum.  Mohammed's photographic story describes one man's life in the middle of desert; a camel caretaker living in a date palm hut.  More info here.
 
Golnaz Olya
Originally form Iran, Olya began shooting Parkour roughly four years ago. Capturing her subjects flying through mid-air amidst an urban Tehran landscape, Olya depicts a perspective of Iran not so commonly portrayed. 
 
 
 
Silvia Razgova
Defining the last fifty odd years have been a generation know as the baby-boomers.  Now reaching retirement and beyond, the "boomers" now redefine death much like they have redefined the culture they lived within.  Razgova's presents her series Death Boom in her own photo-journalist approach. More here.