MANILA – MONO founder Erin Nøir teams up with ASPACE Philippines in hosting MØNOMANIA, the Philippine’s first ever black & white photography fair, on September 23 to 24 at the _GALLERY, ASPACE Greenbelt. Over 250 local and international photographers + B&W enthusiasts are expected to gather at the space for a weekend of connecting + story-making.
Universal and timeless, black & white has long been a prized genre for photographers all over, and for many reasons. For one, it is a minimalist medium that focuses on composition, form, light, shape + texture. Plus, it is a versatile genre often used to showcase depth in a range of subjects + stories. This isn’t to say it’s better than color, but black & white is surely a distinct way to see the world.
To Erin, black & white is a genre with “endless possibilities. It should never be limiting; it’s not just blacks and whites. There are gray areas to it, too.” And with a growing niche community, a dedicated fair was a long time coming.
“We have a huge number of Filipino photographers here and overseas but, unfortunately, we never had a festival dedicated to photography,” quips Erin. “MØNOMANIA aims to somehow bridge this gap. The goal is to gather like-minded image-based artists, and to inspire and learn from one another.”
Workshops, portfolio reviews, talks, slideshows, a small library + an exhibit will make up the two-day fair. Learn from leaders + lovers of the community:
• Alan Navarra (author + illustrator), Nana Buxani (documentary photographer), Quark Henares (filmmaker), Victor Balanon (painter) for MØNO Reviews, and
• Christian Tablazon (educator), Tatsuo Suzuki (Void Tokyo publisher + street
photographer) for MØNOLogues.
A 200+ spread of black & white A3 prints from various photographers will be displayed on MØNO Wall: Prints Not Dead. Within first week of the open call, MØNOMANIA received the expected number of entries for the exhibit.
Prior to the fair, MØNO Labs – exclusive workshops led by Erin – will also be open to experienced photographers who are keen on translating their craft to print. Master the art of making photo stories on September 10 and zine-crafting on September 17.
Comrade Leather Goods, Film Folk, KITA and KLTRD will be selling their merchandise at the fair. Food and drinks will be provided during the pre-fair workshops.
For non-media attendees, entrance to the fair is priced at P400 for two days or P250 per day.
MØNO Labs are at P3,000 per workshop, inclusive of food + drinks.
Official FB Event Page for MØNOMANIA: http://bit.ly/MONOmania
#thisisMONO + #ASpaceToGather
