The processes of acceleration, automation, artificial intelligence and scientific progress present us with new challenges as we approach the concept of transhumanism. How is all of this going to affect us? This question is answered by the thirteenth edition of Getxophoto. For the third and final year, the bilbain Mónica Allende will be responsible for artistic programming and, as usual, artists from all over the world will participate in the festival that will address the issue from different points of view and visual languages: Among others, Maija Tammi, Matthieu Gabsou, Neil Harbisson, Haley Morris-Cafiero and Juno Calypso.

During the month of the festival, a complete educational program will be developed that will include activities for all ages: laboratories, lectures, workshops and guided tours. Public space will also be important this year, as Getxophoto considers it a space for meeting, leisure and reflection. Thus, most exhibitions will be located in outdoor facilities, without prejudice to other rooms and spaces. For the festival, it is essential that the contents reach all types of audience. Therefore, you will propose different routes and walking tours in order to enjoy these free exhibitions. It is also worth highlighting the area of citizen participation that has been organized. Photos related to the theme will be sent and the best will be displayed in 40 Algorta showcase.

Progress of the programme

The theme of this year is to think and reflect on the future and its possibilities. “It will be the third installment of the series Transitions. We will base ourselves on the person, we will talk about his challenges; where we come from and where we go, to generate debate in society, both from the physical and virtual platform that is the Festival, as there are many people who follow the Festival through the web (90,000 visits last year) and social networks,” said Getxophoto director Jokin Aspuru.

Most of the exhibitions of the International Image Festival will be in the center of Algorta, the Ereaga Beach and the Galleries of Begoña. In the latter case, the II Bertsolaris Championship of Euskal Herria was played in the head. You will be able to visit the collective exhibition of the five winning works of the Open Call competition. The three exhibitions that will be seen in Ereaga will be dedicated to women, and the three will be dedicated to body and painting. On the one hand, the program will show a selection of four portraits of Maija Tammi One of Them is a Human, which have been selected to participate. They are faces of three androids (robots in the form of society) and of a possible human being, and it is not specified who a human is; Haley Morris-Cafiero (one of the winners of the current edition of Open Call) will show cyberbullying with a collection of photographs entitled The Bully Pulpit, and Juno Calypsok will present What to do with Million on the interiors.

Among the novelties planned for this year, in addition to activities for families and guided tours for teachers and students of schools, the director of the festival has stressed that Getxophoto will have a soundtrack by Borja Crespo and Koldo Serra DJ. “On the other hand, the presence of the cyborg activist Neil Harbisson gives us great expectation. Once an antenna is placed on the head, Amonarriz will explain how her day to day is in this week’s program. On the other hand, it will also offer a concert of colors it calls, which sends the antenna as it approaches the audience,” explains Jokin Aspuru.

With regard to the activities of the festival, mainly from 4 to 8 September, the public will be able to participate in: In the Opening activity, in special visits to exhibitions, in meetings with artists, in Itxialdia (day of reflection on photography), and until 27 July you will be able to send a photo on the proposed theme, so that 40 of them can be exhibited in the establishments of Algortako Dendak. Lunch will be held by Oskar Martínez, Juantxo Egaña and Ixone Sádio.