Getxophoto International Image Festival takes place in Getxo, the Basque Country, close to Bilbao (15km). It is conceived to walk around the city and delve into the exhibitions in a few hours. Most of them are open-air installations and can be visited at any time. Getxophoto is a festival focused on the image that has been held in Getxo –Basque Country– since 2007, created and managed by Begihandi. An initiative in continuous search of being more participative, committed and sustainable. Getxophoto International Image Festival takes place in Getxo, the Basque Country, close to Bilbao (15km). It is conceived to walk around the city and delve into the exhibitions in a few hours. Most of them are open-air installations and can be visited at any time.
The theme of the 2024 edition curated by María Ptqk is PLAY:
If last year we called for a PAUSE, to stop and slow down, in this edition of Getxophoto we are encouraging you to do the opposite and press another button: this year, let’s hit PLAY.
But what does this mean? As well as being the most popular key on all our devices, the one we use to play images, music and all types of audio-visuals, play refers principally to the idea of starting up. It evokes stimulation and movement, impulse and liveliness. Just as we press play for our favourite songs, we press play in ourselves when we get going, when our spirits rise. And it is this idea of activation – pressing the button of life – that best corresponds to the original meaning of the word. Because to play is probably the most creative human occupation that exists.
Games are central to the history of humanity. However, for a long time they were considered an unimportant activity, a kind of back garden of culture; they have been confined to the world of childhood or identified only with toys. Nevertheless, playing is a complex activity that appears under different guises. Sports and competitions are games, as are betting and games of chance, and of course, all forms of entertainment, from video games to the performing arts because, in many languages, playing also means acting a part or playing an instrument.
Therefore, offering a single definition of playing is almost impossible. Some games impose many rules while others give way to the realm of total freedom; some are individual and others collective; some are pure fun and others are extremely serious. What is clear is that playing is a higher-order human practice, basic in learning, present in all areas of life and inseparable from the arts. When we say play, therefore, we refer to that immense universe of activations and, in particular, their impact on the imagination. (read more)
The artists line-up is impressive and features plenty of practitioners that wok with digital game and video game aesthetics, including Raquel Meyers, Lu Yang, Maxim Zmeyev and 2girls1comp
