Online photo doccie exhibition starts Bonani Africa 2010 Festival

An online exhibition, which went live on 1 June 2010, is the first phase of the Bonani Africa 2010 Festival, which culminates in a large-scale exhibition and a conference on documentary photography to be held in Cape Town from 18 August.

The exhibition comprised of photographic essays from 50 documentary photographers who submitted almost 2 000 images and over 600 photographs. On offer are photographic essays that range from a powerful, yet sensitive collection on the effects of breast cancer to an essay on the public display of opulence that has become the hallmark of success amongst the country's elites.

"The response to the call for submissions has been fantastic and has attracted many searching visual essays," says Omar Badsha, CEO of South African History Online. "The festival and the online exhibition sustain and grow our rich tradition of documentary photography. It allows photographers to share their diverse and subtle explorations of South African and African realties more widely."

A panel of judges includes renowned photographer, David Goldblatt, Sunday Independent journalist and arts columnist, Mary Corrigall, artist and lecturer Thembinkosi Goniwe, Riason Naidoo the head of the National Gallery collection and Bonani Africa 2010 festival director, Omar Badsha, will evaluate the submissions and choose three winning entries.

All essays can be viewed on the Bonani Africa pages on the SA History Online website at www.sahistory.org.za/pages/saho%20stuff/saho-exhibitions/bonani/exhib.htm.