Photos Light Up Prison Walls

by Farlina Zailanni

April 3, 2008

FREMANTLE Prison on April 5 re-opens its gates to the FotoFreo Festival of Photography.

The second-time FotoFreo sponsor will display works from an assortment of local and international photographers in its Prison Art Gallery, located within the prison’s limestone walls.

The prison’s Sandra Murray welcomes the biennale festival, saying it creates new opportunities for the defunct clink to broaden its scope.

“Being part of FotoFreo really does raise our profile …,” says Murray, “people don’t think of Fremantle Prison when they think of the arts.

“It puts it in people’s minds.”

Murray has a hand in choosing the photographers, saying she’s “quite stringent” in what the gallery shows. The repertoire, which includes sandgropers Robert Firth and Concetta Petrillo, has been chosen for its “narrative and portraiture” qualities.

She also says there’s a certain charm in turning the exhibition site, which used to function as the prison’s storage area, into a source of culture.

Since its start in 2002, FotoFreo has grown, and now sees itself as a cultural link between Europe and Asia. This year’s festival comprises 84 exhibitions involving 200-plus photographers.

The Fremantle Prison exhibition opens on the evening of Saturday, April 5 and goes until May 4. Admission is free, and the gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily. For more information visit the festival website, www.fotofreo.com.