Imagining the Every Day, (group exhibition)

BACKGROUND 'Imagining the Every Day' was a group exhibition created specifically for the tenth Pingyao International Photography (PIP) festival. The exhibition of more than 150 images by Australia's most creative photographic artists explored a range of representations of Australia, moving beyond documentary and into the reals of the imaginary. CONTRIBUTION 'Imagining the Every Day' was divided into ten sections to honour PIP's 10th anniversary, with each section presenting the work of a pair of Australian artists. Kozka's works, which included 'The Best Years of Our Lives', made a significant contribution to the exhibition's exploration of vivid, diverse visual narratives. Kozka was awareded the prestigious International Prize for his contribution to the 'Imagining the Everyday' exhibition. SIGNIFICANCE The Australian Centre for Photography was invited by PIP's distinguished Artistic Director, Zhang Guotian, to develop and exhibit 'Imagining the Every Day' as part of the tenth PIP festival. The PIP festival is China's largest and longest-running photography event and a feature of the international photo-art event calendar. Supported by the Australian Government through the Australian International Cultural Council, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the 'Imagining the Every Day' exhibition formed part of the 'Imagining Australia: The Year of Australian Culture in China' program. Some 6,000 guests attended the televised opening of PIP, 200,000 people attended the festival, and 20,000 guests were at the televised awards night at which Kozka received the International Prize.