Distance: A Photographic Relay Between Venice and Ethiopia

The exhibition series 'Distance' will run from mid-December to early January, connecting Venice and Ethiopia. Organized by the permanent art platform Tales-On and curated by Marco Milan, the project aims to foster dialogue with contemporary artists in coffee-producing countries. It is supported by coffee brand Caffè Bristot. The core of the event features works by five young Ethiopian photographers—Haymanot Honelegn Assefa, Hilina Mekonen Tesfaw, Maheder Haileselassie Tadese, Netsanet Fekadu, and Luna Solomon—who were invited by Milan and Aida Muluneh, founder of the Addis Foto Fest. The festival, now in its fourth edition, is Ethiopia's first photography festival. The photographers will present thirty images interpreting the theme of distance, covering generational gaps, depression as a distance between inner and outer worlds, and urban distance between periphery and center. The exhibition will take place in Addis Ababa from December 15 to 20 as part of Addis Foto Fest, and at the Scoletta Battioro in Venice from December 15 to January 8, 2017. An artist's book of 500 copies will be produced, donated to major cultural institutions and global opinion leaders, and will support research and artistic production in Addis Ababa.