FESTIVAL ‘OJOS ROJOS’ ADVOCATES SPANISH AND LATIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, the Festival Ojos Rojos returns for its second edition with much energy and enthusiasm. This photographic event based in Xabia is organized by the collective Arteria Urbana, and offers an intense programme from September 19th to October 24th which is faithful to its objective: to advocate Spanish and Latin photography and bring the world of renowned authors and the talent and freshness of young values to the viewer of the Marina Alta.

Councilor Quico Moragues (Culture) has valued the great effort of the organizers to overcome this year’s difficult position and also to the Agrupación Fotográfica de Xàbia (AFX) for the support it provides to the festival.

The artistic director of Ojos Rojos, Mili Sánchez, explained the basic lines of the 13 exhibitions that can be seen through the festival in Xabia, Dénia, Pedreguer and Valencia.

Authors of great renown and experience such as Juan Manuel Díaz Burgos (Historias de Playa / Trópico de Cáncer), Javier Arcenillas (Latidoamérica) and Luis Vioque (Nórdica), powerful young people such as the Mexican Eurice Adorno (Octubre Rojo) and the local author Xusa Bou (Francesca Woodman) as well as the particular visions of Isabel Ramirez Torres (Marioneta) and Xavier Ferrer Xust (Oremus).

The exhibitions will be distributed across several rooms of the municipality such as the Casa del Cable in the port, the Centro de Artes Lambert (Casa Tena), the Soler Blasco Museum, the Galería Isabel Bilbao and the Cactus Club & Shop in the historic centre.

Following the regional nature of the festival and thus facilitate synergies between people with cultural concerns, this year there will be exhibitions in Dénia (Leila Amat will exhibit in Els Magazinos while María Moldes and Júlia Pontés will experiment outdoors with large format works in Calle Marqués de Campo), Carlos de Paz will present his work in Pedreguer and Mili Sánchez exhibits in the Espai d’Art Fotogràfic de València.

As Sanchez explained, the selection of exhibitions has attempted to encompass diverse visual narratives and the infinite possibilities offered by photography on both sides of the Atlantic.

Also from the organization, Cristina de María-Tomé, has spoken of the parallel activities that complement the festival, including workshops by Javier Arcenillas on new documentary or landscaping and María Moldes that will give guidelines to learn how to channel personality through photography. And this Saturday there will be several talks by Javier Ferrer Xust,Luis Vioque and Carlos de Paz.

As attendance at the events and inaugurations is limited by the COVID-19 health crisis, these activities will be done live online from the festival networks and guided tours will also be prepared with the authors that will be recorded and made available to viewers through QR codes visible in the exhibition rooms.

As a sign of the close collaboration with the Agrupación Fotográfica de Xàbia (AFX), the local Photographic Rally (October 16-18) is also part of the programmingfor this festival.

SOURCE: Press Release – Ayuntamiento de Xabia