Whole Gallery

28 September – 22 October

FOTOFEST '26

FOTOFEST Hawke’s Bay is getting ready to fill galleries, community spaces and streets with photography, creativity and conversation, with events taking place across Hastings, Havelock North and Napier.

The festival is all about making photography accessible to everyone. Entry to FOTOFEST exhibitions is free, giving locals and visitors the chance to explore work by local, national and international photographers without any barriers.

Festival founder Shayne Jeffares says FOTOFEST is about celebrating the region and connecting people through photography.
“Having exhibitions and events spread across Hastings and Havelock North means more people can experience the festival in their own communities. It’s a chance to discover new works, support local creatives and businesses, while enjoying the places and spaces we have across Hawke’s Bay.”

From established photographers to emerging talent, FOTOFEST offers a mix of contemporary photography, documentary work, portraiture, landscapes and experimental projects. The festival encourages people to slow down, look closer and engage with the stories being told through printed images, without distraction from digital screens.

As well as supporting the arts, FOTOFEST brings extra energy to local cafes, shops, accommodation providers and other businesses as visitors travel throughout the region to see exhibitions in Hastings, Havelock North and Napier.

FOTOFEST Hawke’s Bay continues to grow as a community-focused creative festival that celebrates creativity, inclusion and the region.  For festival updates, exhibition details and event information visit www.fotofest.nz.

 

Exhibitions:  On at the Hastings Arts Centre | Arts Inc.

 

MURRAY CAMMICK  |  'Music' - touring music legends touring New Zealand through the 70s and 80s and 90s.

Murray Cammick’s photography is old school film photography, avoiding digital printing using the traditional Gelatin silver process to create high-quality black and white prints.

The photographs being exhibited have been printed by top New Zealand Gelatin silver printer Jenny Tomlin. Cammick’s photography is in the Te Papa Art Collection.

Photo credit:  Murray Cammick - Bob Marley, Pōwhiri at the White Heron Hotel, Auckland, April 1979

 

VEDA AUSTIN  |  'The Secret Intelligence of Water Science, Art & Consciousness'

Veda Austin is a water researcher, public speaker, artist, author, and mother who has spent the past 14 years exploring water’s structural memory and responsiveness.

She has pioneered a unique crystallographic method that visually captures water’s reactions to stimuli, revealing its awareness of thought, intention, and creation through imagery.

Veda believes that water is fluid intelligence, observing itself through every living organism on the planet and in the universe. Her primary focus is photographing water in its ‘state of creation’—the space between liquid and ice—where it expresses a profound and dynamic language.

Through her research, public talks, and published works, she challenges conventional perspectives, inspiring a deeper understanding of water as an intelligent and communicative force.

Photo credit:  Veda Austing - 'Tear in Heaven by Eric Clapton'

 

CAPTURE THE MOMENT  |  2026

Capture the moment is IHC’s photography competition for New Zealanders with an intellectual disability, or an intellectual disability and autism.

Building on the success of the IHC Art Awards, Capture the moment celebrates creativity through the lens – whether a camera, mobile phone, or tablet.

The competition is a platform for self-expression, confidence-building, and connection, while highlighting the unique perspectives and stories of photographers. It helps raise awareness of the creativity within the IHC community and encourages inclusion and appreciation through visual storytelling.

Winner 2025 Capture the Moment Competition - 'Whio' by Dam Zam

 

FOTOFEST  |  Young Photographer of the Year

For the fourth year, FOTOFEST celebrates local youth with a competition and exhibition followed by an opening event for entrants,family and friends.

With prizes provided by SONY NZ and Harvey Norman, this exhibition showcases the talent of emerging youth photographers to the wider community, bringing the experience of having their own work exhibited within a gallery space.

2025 Youth Winner:  Reagan Kupa

 

'AOTEAROA TAKES FLIGHT'

A national open-call exhibition celebrating New Zealand birdlife.

Birds are woven into the identity of Aotearoa New Zealand.  They shape our forests, coastlines, wetlands and skies — and occupy a unique place in our cultural imagination, environmental consciousness, and everyday lives.

Aotearoa Takes Flight brings together a collective photographic portrait of New Zealand birdlife through the eyes of photographers from across the country.

Featuring up to 100 individual images, the exhibition transforms a gallery wall into a living mosaic of feathers, colour, movement, habitat and story.

Image:  Maddox Photography - John Parker