Juliana Gómez Quijano On exhibiting At Getxophoto Thanks To The PhMuseum 2021 Photography Grant

The Colombian photographer also known as Juno tell us what it meant to present her work at the Basque Festival, talks about her practice, and provides advice to new applicants.

Juliana Gómez Quijano's practice is often inspired by the beauty of the unknown. Her work seeks to establish a bridge between scientific research and art, as she visualises her personal experiences and delves deeper into the intimacies that make us unique human beings. Her latest project The Two Strands (Las Dos Hebras) is indeed rich in symbolic value as it represents an artistic review of the history of genetics, attributing remarkable strength to the ovules and to the hereditary information they carry. The work was noticed by Getxophoto's curator Jon Uriarte among all the submissions of the PhMuseum 2021 Photography Grant and granted an exhibition at the international photography festival under the theme To Share. A year later we talked to Juno about what this opportunity meant to her.

"The collaboration with Jon Uriarte and the Getxophoto Festival team was very positive - she says. I shared with them a larger body of images and they made the proposals for the exhibition design, which I loved. Although I could not attend the Festival, due to the pandemic, they shared with me the experiences around my project and its exhibition at the festival” says Juno. The show was an opportunity to actively cooperate from afar, showing the significance of the online world, especially in the current historical context. The result of such remote cooperation was tangible: an open-air installation in Puerto Viejo seaside, coupled with an additional exhibition in Fnac Bilbao.

When asked if the possibility of showcasing a work in progress affected her Juliana replied that nowadays the development of projects is an experience that is shared with others in different places; in social networks, conferences, classes and workshops. Doing so requires you to organise the material, the ideas, the texts. Just like when you apply for calls like the PhMuseum Grant. In some projects, it is premature to think about that, but in this case, it was beneficial, I had been working for two years and I felt confident to apply”.

Knowing our platform and following our activities over the years represented a further incentive to share her project. Showing my work on the PhMuseum platform makes me feel part of something - she says. I love seeing my images surrounded by images of photographers from all over the world. Also thanks to the diffusion that my project had in PhMuseum and in the Getxophoto Festival, I got mentions and publications in platforms such as C41 Magazine, GUP Magazine, Paper Journal Magazine and Vostok Magazine, among others”.

At the moment, Juliana is still working on The Two Strands. The artist, who has a twin herself, states that she is now “diving into the universe of the stories of identical twins that highlight their differences. After photographing them and getting close to them, I realized that the similarities on the surface do not say as much about ourselves as the differences that life itself traces for us. I hope to close the project next fall”.

To new applicants, Juliana suggests to apply early, read what the juries are expecting, dig deep into the texts that support their ideas, and be confident in their processes. Most importantly, be confident in yourself: a good story is always worth sharing". For the third year in a row, Getxophoto will exhibit a work handpicked among the submissions of the PhMuseum Photography Grant. Learn more and preset your projects at phmuseum.com/g22.

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Juliana Gómez is a Colombian photographer who investigates and reflects from a place of scientific knowledge and creates bridges to her personal experiences. Follow her on her website and on Instagram.

Jon Uriarte is an artist, teacher, and curator. He holds a Masters in Projects and Artistic Theories. His work has been exhibited at galleries and museums in Madrid, San Sebastian, New York, Berlin, and Barcelona. He is founder of Widephoto, the former director of DONE by FotoColectania, and he is currently the digital curator of The Photographers' Gallery and artistic director of Getxophoto Festival.

GETXOPHOTO International Image Festival takes place in Getxo (Basque Country, Spain) for 15 years. The Festival brings different proposals from photographers and visual storytellers from all over the world to the city, setting a contemporary conversation about a different proposed theme each year. The theme for the new edition is To Imagine.

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The PhMuseum Photography Grant has established itself as a leading prize in the industry over the past ten years, renowned for celebrating the importance of contemporary photography and supporting the careers of emerging artists through monetary prizes and various opportunities across international festivals and online media. You are welcome to present your work before 17 February 2021 at 11.59 pm (GMT). Learn more and apply at phmuseum.com/g22.

from The Two Strands © Juliana Gómez Quijano
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from The Two Strands © Juliana Gómez Quijano

from The Two Strands © Juliana Gómez Quijano
i

from The Two Strands © Juliana Gómez Quijano

Juliana Gómez Quijano On exhibiting At Getxophoto Thanks To The PhMuseum 2021 Photography Grant
i

from The Two Strands © Juliana Gómez QuijanoJuliana Gómez Quijano's practice is often inspired by the beauty of the unknown. Her work seeks to establish a bridge between scientific research and art, as she visualises her personal experiences and delves deeper into the intimacies that make us unique human beings. Her latest project The Two Strands (Las Dos Hebras) is indeed rich in symbolic value as it represents an artistic review of the history of genetics, attributing remarkable strength to the ovules and to the hereditary information they carry. The work was noticed by Getxophoto's curator Jon Uriarte among all the submissions of the PhMuseum 2021 Photography Grant and granted an exhibition at the international photography festival under the theme To Share. A year later we talked to Juno about what this opportunity meant to her.from The Two Strands © Juliana Gómez Quijano"The collaboration with Jon Uriarte and the Getxophoto Festival team was very positive - she says. I shared with them a larger body of images and they made the proposals for the exhibition design, which I loved. Although I could not attend the Festival, due to the pandemic, they shared with me the experiences around my project and its exhibition at the festival” says Juno. The show was an opportunity to actively cooperate from afar, showing the significance of the online world, especially in the current historical context. The result of such remote cooperation was tangible: an open-air installation in Puerto Viejo seaside, coupled with an additional exhibition in Fnac Bilbao.When asked if the possibility of showcasing a work in progress affected her Juliana replied that “nowadays the development of projects is an experience that is shared with others in different places; in social networks, conferences, classes and workshops. Doing so requires you to organise the material, the ideas, the texts. Just like when you apply for calls like the PhMuseum Grant. In some projects, it is premature to think about that, but in this case, it was beneficial, I had been working for two years and I felt confident to apply”.Images from from Juliana Gómez Quijano's exhibition at Getxophoto © Getxophoto/Liset ChavezKnowing our platform and following our activities over the years represented a further incentive to share her project. “Showing my work on the PhMuseum platform makes me feel part of something - she says. I love seeing my images surrounded by images of photographers from all over the world. Also thanks to the diffusion that my project had in PhMuseum and in the Getxophoto Festival, I got mentions and publications in platforms such as C41 Magazine, GUP Magazine, Paper Journal Magazine and Vostok Magazine, among others”.At the moment, Juliana is still working on The Two Strands. The artist, who has a twin herself, states that she is now “diving into the universe of the stories of identical twins that highlight their differences. After photographing them and getting close to them, I realized that the similarities on the surface do not say as much about ourselves as the differences that life itself traces for us. I hope to close the project next fall”.To new applicants, Juliana suggests to “apply early, read what the juries are expecting, dig deep into the texts that support their ideas, and be confident in their processes. Most importantly, be confident in yourself: a good story is always worth sharing". For the third year in a row, Getxophoto will exhibit a work handpicked among the submissions of the PhMuseum Photography Grant. Learn more and preset your projects at phmuseum.com/g22.©Juliana Gómez Quijano from The Two Strands--Juliana Gómez is a Colombian photographer who investigates and reflects from a place of scientific knowledge and creates bridges to her personal experiences. Follow her on her website and on Instagram.Jon Uriarte is an artist, teacher, and curator. He holds a Masters in Projects and Artistic Theories. His work has been exhibited at galleries and museums in Madrid, San Sebastian, New York, Berlin, and Barcelona. He is founder of Widephoto, the former director of DONE by FotoColectania, and he is currently the digital curator of The Photographers' Gallery and artistic director of Getxophoto Festival.GETXOPHOTO International Image Festival takes place in Getxo (Basque Country, Spain) for 15 years. The Festival brings different proposals from photographers and visual storytellers from all over the world to the city, setting a contemporary conversation about a different proposed theme each year. The theme for the new edition is To Imagine.--The PhMuseum Photography Grant has established itself as a leading prize in the industry over the past ten years, renowned for celebrating the importance of contemporary photography and supporting the careers of emerging artists through monetary prizes and various opportunities across international festivals and online media. You are welcome to present your work before 17 February 2021 at 11.59 pm (GMT). Learn more and apply at phmuseum.com/g22.

Images from from Juliana Gómez Quijano's exhibition at Getxophoto © Getxophoto/Liset Chavez
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Images from from Juliana Gómez Quijano's exhibition at Getxophoto © Getxophoto/Liset Chavez

©Juliana Gómez Quijano from The Two Strands
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©Juliana Gómez Quijano from The Two Strands

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