Martin Parr's Brighton Photo Biennial

The Brighton Photography Biennial: New Documents began this weekend (until 30 November). The seaside city welcomed Magnum photographer Martin Parr as the guest curator for the biennial which kicked off with a series of talks and panel events, including a discussion chaired by Parr exploring the current changes in photography brought about the digital revolution and its impact on cultural and artistic contexts for photographers.

Five exhibitions of archived and recent photography as well as events, workshops and social ‘hubs’ continue throughout the biennial. “As curator I want to make this festival fresh, distinctive and focused on Brighton & Hove”, says Parr. Notably, photographs on display will be pinned instead of more-usually framed. Parr’s multi-platform vision for the festival also features a variety of film and work online. Large contributions will come from students studying at Brighton University.

A mixture of commercial and non-professional photographers are represented with work on display. Celebrated British photographer Stephen Gill demonstrates his experimental approach by customising his cameras, slotting paraphernalia picked up from the streets of Brighton - including seaweed and an ant - in between the lenses. Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen, whose work includes Prosper (above) - taken from the series Flamboya (2006), has a strong background in fashion (she has shot campaigns for Miu Miu and Diesel amongst others). While at the other end of the spectrum, works by a Mexican taxi driver and a Johannesburg nightclub bouncer are also on display ensuring the exhibitions reflect the vibrancy and variety of contemporary photography.