{{Short description|Photography festival in Liverpool}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Look Photo Biennial''' (stylised as '''LOOK Photo Biennial''') is a biannual photography festival based in Liverpool, UK. It is a four-week programme that takes place in various venues in Liverpool and across the North West in April and May. It dates back to 2007 but began in its current format in 2011. From 2018 it is being led by Open Eye Gallery, where the festival is centred.
Prior to 2018 it was called '''Look - Liverpool International Photography Festival.''' It runs in the opposing years to Liverpool Biennial.<ref name="guardian-taylor">{{cite web|first1=Kenn|last1=Taylor|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Look/13: Liverpool photography festival gets introspective|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/the-northerner/2013/may/16/look-13-liverpool-photography-festival|date=16 May 2013|website=The Guardian}}</ref>
==Focus and activities== The Look website states "LOOK Photo Biennial is about how we see the world through lenses, screens, culture, contexts. ... We want to think about how we can overcome our visual reflexes, and see the drastic changes taking place right now in the UK and across the globe through fresh eyes."<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Look Photo Biennial|url=https://openeye.org.uk/look/|website=Open Eye Gallery}}</ref>
The festival includes archive work, recent work and newly commissioned work<ref name="bbc-2011"/> by emerging and established artists from Liverpool, the UK and elsewhere. The majority of work is new or being shown in the UK for the first time.
The festival takes place over four weeks and includes exhibitions, conferences, talks, tours, workshops, participation activities, screenings, competitions and fringe activities.<ref name="guardian-taylor"/>
==History== The Look - Liverpool International Photography Festival "launched in 2011 as a response to a series of events initiated by Manchester-based photography network Redeye in 2007 (Look07)."<ref name="theskinny-2013"/>
From 2018 it is being led by Open Eye Gallery.
==Biennials==
===2011 – LOOK/11=== The artistic director was Stephen Snoddy.<ref name="bbc-2011"/> It included work by Edward Burtynsky,<ref name="bbc-2011">{{cite news|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Human stories in photo festival|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-12933520|newspaper=BBC News|date=1 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Portfolio: Edward Burtynsky|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/portfolio-edward-burtynsky-2282497.html|newspaper=The Independent}}</ref> Homer Sykes,<ref name="bbc-2011"/> John Davies,<ref name="bbc-2011"/> Donovan Wylie,<ref name="bbc-2011"/> Robert Polidori<ref name="bbc-2011"/> and Mitch Epstein.<ref name="bbc-2011"/>
Venues included Walker Art Gallery, International Slavery Museum, Liverpool Hope University and Open Eye Gallery.<ref name="bbc-2011"/>
===2013 – LOOK/13=== The theme was "Who do you think you are?".<ref name="guardian-2013">{{cite news|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Look/13: the Liverpool international photography festival – in pictures|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner/gallery/2013/may/16/look13-liverpool-photography-festival-in-pictures|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 May 2013|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref><ref name="guardian-taylor"/> The director was Patrick Henry.<ref name="guardian-taylor"/><ref name="theskinny-2013">{{cite news|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Liverpool International Photography Festival|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/uk-festivals/art/liverpool-international-photography-festival-through-the-looking-glass|website=The Skinny}}</ref> It included work by Barbara Kruger,<ref name="theskinny-2013"/><ref name="aesthetica-2013">{{cite news|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Aesthetica Magazine - LOOK/13, Liverpool|url=http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/look13-liverpool/|newspaper=Aesthetica Magazine}}</ref> Martin Parr,<ref name="theskinny-2013"/><ref name="aesthetica-2013"/> Rankin,<ref name="guardian-2013"/><ref name="aesthetica-2013"/> August Sander,<ref name="theskinny-2013"/><ref name="aesthetica-2013"/> Weegee,<ref name="theskinny-2013"/><ref name="aesthetica-2013"/> Tom Wood<ref name="theskinny-2013"/><ref name="aesthetica-2013"/> and an exhibition curated by Imogen Stidworthy.<ref name="aesthetica-2013"/>
Venues included Open Eye Gallery, Bluecoat Chambers, Walker Art Gallery and The Cornerhouse Gallery at Liverpool Hope University, Tate Liverpool, Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, Liverpool John Moores University Exhibition Research Centre, Victoria Gallery & Museum.<ref name="theskinny-2013"/>
===2015 – LOOK/15=== It was held at various venues including Bluecoat Chambers<ref>{{cite web|first1=Tricia|last1=Porter|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Toxteth then and now: photographs of a bygone Liverpool|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/19/toxteth-then-now-tricia-porter-photographs-liverpool|date=19 May 2015|website=The Guardian}}</ref> and Open Eye Gallery.<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Liverpool comes into focus at Look/15 photography festival|url=https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/photography-2/look-15/|newspaper=Huck Magazine|date=30 June 2015}}</ref>
===2017 – LOOK/17=== It was curated by Ying Kwok.<ref name="bjp-2017">{{cite web|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Festival: Look Photo opens in Liverpool this weekend – British Journal of Photography|url=http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/festival-look-photo-opens-in-liverpool-this-weekend/|website=British Journal of Photography}}</ref><ref name="theskinny-2017">{{cite news|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Liverpool International Photography Festival preview: The Skinny|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/art/showcase/showcase-look-photo-festival-liverpool|website=The Skinny}}</ref> The theme was "Cities of Exchange" and incorporated Hong Kong as an exchange city.<ref name="bjp-2017"/><ref name="theskinny-2017"/><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-10-12|title=Aesthetica Magazine - LOOK/17: Urban Experience|url=http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/look17-urban-experience/|newspaper=Aesthetica Magazine}}</ref>
It included work by Wong Wo Bik.<ref name="bjp-2017"/>
==See also== *Brighton Photo Biennial *Format International Photography Festival
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|openeye.org.uk/look/}} *[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/photography/10061626/LOOK13-Liverpools-International-Photography-Festival-2013.html "LOOK/13: Liverpool's International Photography Festival, 2013"] – gallery at ''The Daily Telegraph''
Category:Art biennials Category:Art festivals in the United Kingdom Category:British biennial events Category:Photography festivals