Gillman Barracks plays host to two key exhibitions from the home-grown biennial photography festival which is in its 5th edition this year. Origin is an Associate Programme is the 4th edition of the Tokyo International Photography Competition Winners’ Exhibition, which features works by 8 photographers from around the world exploring the notion of ‘origin’.

Etymologically speaking, “origin” denotes “beginning”, “source”, “birth”, “rise” or “start”. Marcus Garvey, a renowned civil rights activist at the turn of the previous century, said “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.

“Who are we? Where do we come from? Where do we belong? Since the dawn of time, cultures have shared origin myths, weaving an inter-generational chain linking the past to the present. From the Norse cosmology of nine home worlds unified by the World Tree Yggdrasil, to modern-day endeavors in genealogy and mapping one’s family tree, origin stories provide us with a sense and a place of belonging.

Origins allow us to live in the present, with an eye on a future shaped by our collective past. At a time of increased uncertainty and tension on both the interpersonal and global stages, photography’s role in helping us negotiate our daily existence has never been stronger.

Venue: Gillman Barracks, Block 9 Lock Road, Singapore 108937

When: 23 Sep - 16 Oct 2016,

By: Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF)