A new festival celebrating authentic photography will create a one-day-only "artist’s alley" filled with mini galleries, fine art prints and photo zines in New York City this fall. The 5 Boro Foto Fest is a free-entry event that will treat guests to photos from both budding and renowned photographers on October 25.
The 5 Boro Foto Fest is more of an art show than a photography trade show, focusing more on booths filled with artists than brands with camera gear (though there will be a few of those, too).
The event invites photographers to display and sell their work in an "artist’s alley" event that invites guests to return home with wall art and zines crafted by real artists, not AI.
"I've been looking around at the world of photography and saw the threat that generative AI poses to replace us," said Chris Gampat, the founder of the 5 Boro Foto Fest, as well as the founder and Editor in Chief of The Phoblographer.
"This event is designed to remind people that photographers are capable of making your jaw drop with moments that you don’t even notice every day."
The 5 Boro Foto Fest will invite guests to wander booths filled with prints, zines, books and mixed media.
Along with supporting authentic photography in an era of AI, the festival also aims to help photographers find art lovers without the pressure of algorithms, with in-person artwork.
Vendor applications are currently invite-only, but open beyond the invitations on August 01. AI-generated artwork is prohibited, but mixed media is welcome, along with photography.
"This is the start of a micro-economy that’s really needed right now in the post-social media era," Gampat adds.
"Photographers are artists, and we’re going to need to embrace that and remind people why we can’t be replaced by AI. And that requires some uncomfortable work on ourselves that’s bound to blossom into something nice."
The event will be held at Culture Lab LIC at 5-25 46th Avenue, Long Island, New York.
The 5 Boro Foto Fest is being jointly hosted by The Phoblographer, Corse Design, Mallon Productions and Culture Lab LIC.
For additional information or to RSVP for free tickets, visit 5borofotofest.com.
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