From 2 to 26 June the sixteenth edition of Getxophoto returns, the photography festival that takes place in Getxo, a town on the coast of the Basque Country.
Most of the exhibitions and installations, by about twenty artists from all over the world, are outdoors, between the neighborhood of Algorta, the beach of Ereaga and the Romo cultural center. Under the artistic direction of photographer and teacher Jon Uriarte, the festival gives space to works that reflect on the role of imagination in giving meaning to our lives.
Among the projects on display are those of photographers Marisol Mendez and Bego Antón, who explore stories related to the past and the condition of women. With Madre, Mendez wonders how ethnicity and religion have shaped the representation and perception of women in Bolivia, her country of origin. By combining old family photos with portraits that interpret the figures of the Madonna and Mary Magdalene, Mendez wants to challenge male chauvinism but also celebrate the diversity and complexity of Andean culture.
Antón inveces Vienna from Bilbao, and the festival presents They are all witches (All those witches), with which he stages the witch hunt that took place in the Basque Country in the Middle Ages. To reconstruct the story, she relied on the confessions extracted from women accused of witchcraft during the torture of the inquisitors. Even knowing that these were partial texts, the photographer started from there to create stories that restore memory and dignity to the people persecuted and killed in those years.