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Experts
Natalya Udartseva
Director of the International Festival “LIGHT AND COLOUR”
Journalist, photo editor, expert and photography lecturer, curator and co-curator of numerous large scale photography projects, i.e. the Contest and Festival “Young Photography” (2023-2025), “Young Photographers of Russia” (2014-2022), “PhotoAssociation Unity” (2021), “Best Photos of Russia” project (2008-2018). Head of the program of the Festival “Photoparade in Uglich” (2010-2014), one of the organizers of “Peterphotofest” Festival (2017-2019), member of the organizing committee of “Siberia Photofest Tobol” forum (2015-present), member of the panel of judges of Russian and international photo contests, compiler and editor of Russian photography albums, former head of photo service of the “Ogonyok” magazine, “OVA-PRESS” editions, “Secret of the Firm” editions, ex-director of special projects by PoLab, founder and principal of the Visual Arts School (Moscow).
Konstantin Leyfer
Chairman of the panel of judges of the Contest, speaker at the Festival
Photographer,photo editor,photo director,photography professor, associate professor at the Communication, Media and Design College of the Higher School of Economics, member of the Association of the Photo Artists of Russia, former chairman of the panel of judges of “The Most Beautiful Country” contest by the Russian Geographical Society, former head of the “TASS photo chronicles” service, photographer, photo editor of the Moscow office of France-Press (1990-1992) and of Reuters news agency (1992-1997). In 1997 he moved to France to work for the Russian edition of “Geo” magazine. Participated in Arles and Perpignan photo festivals. In 1997-1998 headed the photography department of the Russian edition of “Paris Match” magazine, and, thereafter, of the Russian edition of “Vogue” magazine. In 1998 – 2008 managed his own photo agency “Best Pictures”.
Alexandra Sopova
Alla Dmitriyeva
Anton Agarkov
Olga Michi
Sandor Kozlov
Andrey Polikanov
Member of the Panel of Judges, Festival speaker
Photo editor, member of panels of judges of various national and international photo contests: WorldPress Photo, Perpignan Visa d’Or, PressPhoto Finland, Photo Istanbul, Interphoto in Russia, Encontros da Imagem (Portugal), Estação Imagem (Portugal), Pignyao Photo Contest (China) and others. Member of the independent selection committee for JoopSwart MasterClass and 6X6 World Press Foundation, Visa Pour L’Image and training program World Press Photo for Middle East and North Africa (MENA).Nominator for Prince Claus Grant, Leica Oscar Barnack Grant, W.Eugene Smith Grant, Daniel Tamagni Grant, RPS Grant, FotoEvidence Grant, PDN 30, BJP’s “OnestoWatch”. Reviewer at the International Porfolio Review Fotofest, lecturer and reviewer at the Bursa Photo Festival (Turkey), Antalya Photo Festival (Turkey), Cortona on the Move (Italy), Photolux Festival (Italy), Backlight Photo Festival (Finland), Baie de Saint Brieuc Festival Photoreporter (France), Vilnius Photo Circle (Lithuania). Since2001 he has held multiple seminars on photojournalism both in Russia and worldwide. Born in Moscow in 1961 in Moscow, he graduated from the Military Foreign Language Institute in 1987. Served as acting officer in Angola during six years. At the beginning of 90-ies worked as fixer and stringer with Anthony Suau, Christopher Morrison, Stanley Greene and other renowned international photojournalists creating photo stories for major international publications on the events in the former USSR territories, including conflicts in Karabakh, Chechnya, Transnistria, Abkhaz Republic and Tajikistan. From 1995 to 2007 he worked as photo editor in “Time” magazine, from 2007 to 2015 he was Photography Director in “Russky Reporter” magazine, then moved on to work as visual director on the information portal “Takiye Dela” (Things Go This Way). In 2023 he joined the Association “Pole” (Field) as a photo editor and works there now.
Giampiero Assumma
Member of the Panel of Judges, Festival speaker
Documentary photographer, born in Naples in 1969. He started his photographic career in the 90-ies initially focusing on city landscapes. His first project had the title “Time, Place, Metal"» and was dedicated to the transformation of an abandoned industrial site Italsider in Bagnoli, near Naples (1993-1997). Then the focus of his interest drifted towards the exploration of the human capabilities limitations, human physical and mental limits. He follows an existential view characterized by the search for symbols and sacral gestures, use of light as an artistic language. His desire to see the world from a more life affirming point of view is coupled with the urge to go beyond simple documentary that comes through most strongly in his long running projects: “Xifias” (1998 – 2013), “Traces of light” (1999 – 2003), “Nether world” (2000-2014), “Bodybuilders” (2000 – 2017), “This is not my bed” (2017 – 2019), which gained first prize at Press Photo Contest in Hungary. In 2005 Assumma left Naples to live and work between Paris, Berlin and Budapest, and, eventually, in 2019 he settled in Moscow. His recent project comprised photos of Russian capital and other cities he had visited. This is so called ‘street photography’ reflecting the microcosms of cities, visual re-write of everyday life, which is our milieu of existence. In essence it is an attempt to overcome the haphazard of encounters, circumstances, and life contexts in order get a better understanding and knowledge of oneself.
Irina Tolkacheva
Member of the Panel of Judges
Art expert, photography historian, lecturer, author of multiple training courses and articles. She is a lecturer in the Modern Art School “Free Workshops” of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, School of Modern Photography “Docdocdoc”. Formerly a lecturer in VGIK, School of Modern Photography PHOTOPLAY, School of Photography Fine Art, Rodchenko School workshops “Training Environment”, School of Visual Arts, training centre of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art etc. Participates in the educational programs of the Pushkin Museum, Lumière Brothers Centre for Photography, etc. German Goethe Cultural Centre etc. She is a member of the Art Expert Association and the Association of Photo-artists of Russia.
Liu Xiaoxia
Member of the Panel of Judges, special guest of the Festival
Lecturer, curator and translator, over 20 years has an organizer of International Photography Festival in Pingyao (PRC) in collaboration with renown curators, photographers and professors from various countries, setting up international exhibitions in five continents. She was also initiator of several important academic events, including International Education Forum in Photography, September open classes and presentations. In 2021 she edited and published the book “Dialogues on education in the field of photography”. Besides PIP Festival she curated international exhibitions for other photographic events in China: Industrial Photography Festival in Liaoning (Liaoning province, 2016, 2018) and Photo Baohe (Hefei city in Anhui province, 2018, 2019) as well as 2nd International Image Biennale in Quanzhou Huaguan (2023). She was invited to sit on the panel of judges at Photoville (New-York, 2013), Photography Festival in Auckland (2015), Photovisa (Krasnodar, 2018, 2020) and ARGUS (Sochi, 2023). In 2024 she assembled the Chinese group to participate in the “Big City” photo exhibition in Moscow.
Nina Ai-Artyan
Member of the Panel of Judges
Photographer and artist, Nina Ai-Artyan is widely known to the photographic community for her photo projects covering the genres of: self-portrait, street photo, art photography. Art stylist (designer) by university diploma (Kosygin Russian State University, department of decorative and applied arts) she started making photos in 2004, and in 2006 joined the Association of Photo Artists of Russia, participant of numerous photo exhibitions in Russia and worldwide. Since 2022 she has been exploring the capabilities of AI in parallel with photography. Nina’s photos regularly appear on such platforms as Photo VOGUE Global и ICONIC Artist Magazine, her works are included in private collections in Russia and abroad. Awards and prizes: BEST PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2023-24 – first prize in NU genre (2024); participant of special exposition of street photo Contest in Miami (2014); main prize winner of Street Photo Festival (2014); prize winner in «the choice of «Snob» nomination in “Best City on Earth” contest dedicated to 865 year anniversary of Moscow (2012); first prize in NU genre in professional category of “Best 2010 Photographer” contest.
Olga Averyanova
Member of the Panel of Judges
Artist, photography historian, custodian, doctor of Arts, founder and head of photography department in the Pushkin Museum. She has been the curator of over 20 exhibitions. Olga has published around 20 research publications, popular science titles and children’s books, including “Man Ray, modernist photographer: from visual experiments to an artistic brand”, “Painting/Photography – XIX century. From plot to contents”, “I am a photographer”.
Yukiko Ogawa
Member of the Panel of Judges, Festival speaker
Interdisciplinary artist and art expert from Japan. Currently lives and works in Moscow. Education: Master of Media and Governance, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan (2005-2007); Art History in Certificate of Higher Education, University of Oxford, England (2020-2024); «Modern Workshops», ММОМА ( 2023-2024). Participant of exhibitions: “Lamp and Mirror” (Moscow, 2024), “This Day’s Imprint” (Moscow, 2024), “Free Workshop” Graduation” (Moscow, 2024)Tokyo Alternative Photography #7, Gallery Roonee 247 fine arts (Tokyo, Japan, 2019), 30th year- Anniversary art exhibition, Yokomizo House, a listed tangible historical object of Yokohama city, (Japan, 2018); Embassy of Uzbekistan in Japan, Gallery at Official reception of the Independent day of Republic of Uzbekistan (2018); Summer Exhibition, Art Gallery M84, Tokyo, Japan.
