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Getxophoto International Image Festival has been held in Getxo (the Basque Country, Spain) for 18 years. The Festival brings to the city different proposals from visual artists from all over the world, establishing a contemporary conversation on the proposed theme each year.

Getxophoto is characterized by the radical defense of public space (physical and online) as a meeting place, a place of mutual recognition and a field for experimentation, play and celebration in the face of its homogenization and privatization. For this reason, most of its program is made up of open-air installations, highlighting, on the one hand, the link between the image and the environment and, on the other, generating a more horizontal and participatory relationship with the public.

In its 18 years of existence, more than 300 renowned international authors have participated, many of them acclaimed by critic. The Festival, mostly free, is configured as a meeting point and a local and international platform and it has created a network of institutions, artists and visitors who exchange experiences and knowledge.

The 18th edition of Getxophoto International Image Festival took place from 6 to 30 of June. Under the guidance of the Bilbao-born curator María Ptqk (PhD in Artistic Research from the Basque University UPV-EHU) and under the idea and concept of “Play”. If last year we called for a “Pause”, to stop and slow down, in this edition of Getxophoto we are encouraging visitants to do the opposite and press another button: we hitted “Play”. Therefore, 22 artists from countries such as Switzerland, Japan, Ukraine, France, Argentina, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain or Russia, among others, has shown their work at exhibitions and installations (most of them outdoors) in the city.

As for Japanese participation, Getxophoto Festival has had the privilege of having the work of two great photographers such as the featured Mr. Masahisa Fukase with his project “Yoko” and “From Window” and Mr. Hayahisa Tomiyasu with his acclaimed project “TTP”.

As we said before, one of the main hallmarks of the Festival is its firm defense of public space as a place for meeting, enjoyment and reflection. Due to this fact, several exhibitions occupy the public space. The series by Mr. Fukase and Mr. Tomiyasu have been exhibited in two central and busy areas of the city: the Ereaga Elevator and the fences outside the Zabala school. Both unique and well-integrated, these city center spaces transform into bustling open-air venues throughout the month of June. With the arrival of summer, the Ereaga Elevator space becomes one of the most visible for both festival-goers and the media, thanks to its important media repercussion (see press clipping).

“Yoko” “From Window” by Masahisa Fukase

This well-known series by Masahisa Fukase was exhibited printed on dibond (dimensions 0.6m high x 0.4m wide) designed, produced, and installed for the descent and ascent of the elevator. Supported by a 2-meter metal stand, the images can only be seen from inside the moving elevator. During the ride, an intimate space is created with the piece, immersing the visitor in the daily life of the photographer and his partner, Yoko. In 1974, Fukase set himself the rule of photographing his wife every day from the window of their apartment in Tokyo when she left the house to go to work.

It should be noted that El País (Spain), a newspaper of worldwide relevance, echoed this exhibition in a special article about his work in PHotoEspaña and Getxophoto. With regard to visitors, we estimate that at least 10,000 people have enjoyed this very special installation.

“TTP”, Hayahisa Tomiyasu

13 images printed on canvas with a wooden frame (1.90 m high and 1.40 m wide) were designed, produced and installed for the exterior fences of the Zabala school. For five years, Hayahisa Tomiyasu systematically recorded life around a ping-pong table that he saw from the window of his student residence in Leipzig: it became a picnic table, a drying rack, an exercise bar, a shelter from the rain and even a bed. Through repetition, Hayahisa questions the use we make of certain public spaces, and it is very relevant in the case of Getxo as the images were installed outside a school playground where children play every day in different ways, thus inviting them to look at the objects and be able to put them to other uses.

As in the case of Mr. Fukase’s photographs, the photographs and the story behind Mr. Tomiyasu’s series caused a lot of media interest. Proof of this are the various captures of his appearance in national press articles, as well as television and social media posts.

We are currently preparing the next edition for June 2025. Getxophoto International Image Festival will continue to inhabit the public space through exhibitions and installations, an international call that opens the doors to artists from all over the world, conversations with prominent professionals who come to Getxo and who position the Festival mainly in the European circuit, collaborations with cultural agents and institutions that strengthen the local cultural ecosystem or different activities within the participatory program that bring artistic proposals closer to the public. Along the same lines, we will maintain Japanese participation in the Festival.

We look forward to seeing you in 2025!