November 13, 2023 – After a three-year break, Photo Club Split is once again organizing a photography festival “Split Format”. The festival will be held from November 27 until December 13 and this year’s theme is CRISIS (German Krise < Latin crisis: judgment < Greek ϰρίσıς: decision). “Split Format” also includes a photo contest with applications open until November 15.
“When we talk about a crisis, we usually understand it as a deep disturbance in the life of an individual or society, with strong and more or less severe consequences, or as a transitory difficult situation (social crisis, political crisis, economic crisis). In the view of the fact that the “Split Format” festival has been on hiatus for the past few years, one would suspect that this is a consequence of the so-called “corona crisis” – and they would be right.
As the health situation in the whole world developed, it also affected cultural events, their organization as well as their financing. One crisis led to another, and in addition to the fact that our health and socialization were threatened by these crises, peaceful relations between countries have also reached a critical state.
The state of war incited new migrations, and today there are people who seek refuge in Split, a city that already has a bad reputation as a city where it is impossible to find housing, as a result of overpopulation and gentrification. Yet another crisis on the horizon.
Let’s also remember the sudden increase in the price of fuel and basic foodstuffs, inflation, currency changes, the rise of the already unimaginably high prices of real estate… It is clear that every pore of society is disturbed and affected by instability.
In this web of chaos and fear, we find humans: fragile, tiny, already destined for an identity crisis, a midlife crisis or some other personal crisis. It seems that we are on the multi-layered karmic impact of our own postmodernist evolution, and the universality of this year’s theme “Split Format” (CRISIS) opens the door for different interpretations of this ocean of challenges facing humanity.
In the Chinese language, a crisis is represented by two symbols (Wei Ji 危圳), one of which denotes ‘danger’, and the other ‘opportunity, turning point’. In times like these especially, art represents an important path by which we reach personal and social betterment.
It is art that reminds us that we are not alone and that we share this universal human experience, and through art we channel deep feelings and process experiences, connect and ultimately create an impact on the entire society.
That’s why we invite you to submit your works to the competition and present your own interpretation of this topic, which encompasses all spheres of social life, as well as your own, private one.” – Katarina Duplančić, mag. educ. hist. art.
The photography contest “CRISIS” is public and open to all professional and amateur photographers and photography enthusiasts from Croatia and abroad. All persons who have reached the age of 18 before the announcement of the competition can enter the competition.
Access to the topic is free, with respect to the basic idea of the competition. Each artist can send an unlimited number of applications. Each submission must include 10 – 15 photos related to the topic of this year’s festival.
You can find out more about the festival and the photo contest on the official website www.splitformat.com.
Split Format is financed and sponsored by: the Tourist Board of the City of Split, City of Split, Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County, Pixsell Photo and Video Agency, City Center one Split, Pipi, Hotel and Health Marvie, DalmacijaDanas and split.com.hr.
