The 4th Photofestival Mannheim Ludwigshafen Heidelberg opened its doors on September 10th. As the precedent years, one of Germany’s largest photography festivals takes place in the three cities of the Rhine-Neckar region: Over 700 photographs by 56 artist from all over the world are featured in seven different venues, divided by theme into five categories, including two solo shows and numerous activities all through the festival.

Entitled “The Eye is a Lonely Hunter: Images of Humankind,” this edition of the festival aims to show a “portrait of humanity” of the year 2011. The starting point is the 1950’s Edward Steichen exhibition, “The Family of Man”, chosen by the curators Solvej Ovesen (Denmark) and Katerina Gregos (Greece), who developed the concept of the festival.

Targeted mainly at humanist documentary photography, the name of this years’ festival (taken from the novel by Carson McCullers, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”) was chosen to stress the inclusive character of the festival: Here we find those who did not have their place sixty years prior. According to Ovesen, the choice of the theme and the featured works have a plural “democratic” vision on the human condition, showing images that normally are not part of the media.

Ecologic Cycle (Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Ludwigshafen), Influence and effect of politics  (Zephyr Raum für Fotografie, Reiss-Engelhorn Museum, Mannheim), Role and ritual (Kunsthalle Mannheim), The practice of everyday life (Kunstverein Ludwigshafen) and Life Cycles (Heidelberger Kunstverein) ; these are the festival’s five themes. Among its participants, we find Taryn Simon, Olaf Becker, Philippe Chancel and Yang Yongliang, naming just a few of them. The solo shows are devoted to Tobias Zielony (Kunsthalle) and to Roger Ballen (Sammlung Prinzhorn), as well as a large program of activities that will be featured alongside the exhibitions in this year’s very rich edition.

A catalogue has been published on the occasion of the festival: 4. Fotofestival Mannheim Ludwigshafen Heidelberg: The Eye is a Lonely Hunter. Kehrer Verlag, Heidelberg; 240 pages, 267 color images. 20 Euros.

Sebastian Messina

4th Festival Mannheim Ludwigshafen Heidelberg
from September 10th through November 6th 2011

Mannheim
Kunsthalle Mannheim
ZEPHYR of the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museum
Alter Meßplatz

Ludwigshafen
Wilhelm-Hack-Museum
Kunstverein

Heidelberg
Sammlung Prinzhorn
Heidelberger Kunstverein
halle02/Kunsthalle