2024 Ballarat International Foto Biennale GradFoto awards features eleven RMIT Photography graduates

The Ballarat International Foto Biennale GradFoto 2024 exhibition features 22 finalists from 10 universities across Australian and New Zealand. Eleven of the 2024 finalists are graduates of five programs across RMIT. GradFoto was judged this year by Alejandro Acín, founder-director of IC Visual Lab, an independent photography platform that led the 2024 Bristol Photo Festival. See all the finalists at BIFB GradFoto 2024 Gallery.

Award Winner – Lê Nguyên Phương, Bachelor of Arts (Photography) (Honours)

Phuong Nguyen Le, Untitled, from ‘Vở ô ly’ series, 2024, photocopy printed photograph on Vietnamese notebook paper, handwriting, ballpoint pen, felt pen, colour marker, 20 x 30cm.

RMIT Bachelor of Arts (Photography) (Honours) graduate Lê Nguyên Phương was awarded the Ballarat International Foto Biennale GradFoto 2024 prize for his series Vở ô ly. Judging the prize, Alejandro Acín said, “Lê Nguyên Phương’s series masterfully intertwines politics, culture and personal narratives. The collaborative approach and text-image interplay create a powerful, cohesive aesthetic. His work transcends individual images, offering depth and resonance. A standout example of thoughtful storytelling through photography, blending meaning and artistry with impact and intention.”

Lê Nguyên Phương explains, “In 1985, my father, then a professional volleyball player for the Vietnamese military, went to Siem Reap with his team as part of a training camp. This was his first time stepping foot on a foreign land. A year later, he was sent back to Siem Reap, not as an athlete, but as a soldier. In 2024, I travelled to Siem Reap with my father after having moved away for two years. This marked our first trip together. We visited sites of his battle, shared a motel room, played volleyball, and made photographs of each other. I could no longer place my father’s stories on the periphery. I needed to be nearby. Vở ô ly is part of a series exploring the interplay between war circumstances and my family, remembering and forgetting, a rupture in collective memory and the efforts one makes to fill the gap in-between.”

Highly Commended – Emily Raffaele, Diploma of Photography and Digital Imaging

Emily Raffaele, Life. Time. Line., 2024. Diploma of Photography and Digital Imaging.

Alejandro Acín said, “This project is brilliantly executed, demonstrating an exceptional understanding of set design and lighting. The inventive compositions effectively explore the cyclical nature of life and death, drawing inspiration from diverse art movements such as Classicism, Renaissance and Brutalism. The interplay of tension and stillness, alongside the concept of line as a guiding element, adds depth and sophistication to the work.”

Highly Commended – Jesse Pretorius, Bachelor of Arts (Photography) (Honours)

Jesse Pretorius, ‘Forklift Certified’, 2022, digital photograph.

Alejandro Acín said, “This work was shortlisted for its inventive and surreal approach to exploring complex themes of power, symbolism and hyper-reality. The project’s reflexive and responsive methodology, combined with carefully curated sequences, creates a compelling critique of dominant power structures.”