FotoFocus Biennial “The Long View” October 1 to 31

By Christian Meininger

“The Long View” is the theme of the Fotofocus Biennial running throughout the month of October. The largest of its kind in America, the program includes 74 exhibitions in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Northern Kentucky. 

Venues include museums, galleries, universities and public spaces. The theme suggests a broad perspective defined by distance and duration. Artists were asked to submit work that studied “a measured perspective.” The artist’s choice on how to communicate the theme is expected to be presented in unique ways at the different exhibits.

“The Long View” also acknowledges the semiquincentennial of the United States. There are moments on view that examine the country’s long, and at times, contested history. Works in this exhibit may consider the distant past and the distant future as either personal or historical. Some works also try to understand how history informs the shape of the future. The specific venues are expected to interpret the theme “The Long View” in their own ways.

Venues close to Hyde Park this year include the Manifest Gallery, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, 1001 Colors Gallery (formerly ArtWorks), Century Design Workshop and The Well, as well as several nearby in the Downtown area, Clifton and in Over the Rhine.

This year also marked the opening of the new FotoFocus Center at 228 E. Liberty Street, the first permanent home for FotoFocus. The nearly 15,000-foot contemporary structure was designed by Jose Garcia. The organization also holds film series and speaking events including an annual symposium speaker series that hosts artists in the city and an annual lecture each spring. 

The FotoFocus website (fotofocus.org) lists and describes all 74 “Long View” exhibits. The FotoFocus Center is open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

The new FotoFocus Center was designed by Jose Garcia. Throughout October FotoFocus presents its Biennial “The Long View” at 74 venues across the region. Photos by J Miles Wolf.