If you’ve ever visited an exhibition and wished you could take a piece home on the spot, you’re in luck. [Article courtesy of Flotsam]

Kelly Slater. By Andrew Shield.

Analogue photography by some of the country’s most creative talents, including Ming Nomching, Trent Mitchell and Nat McComas, will feature in a group exhibition called Canisters which will debut at Gold Coast film and photography festival FLOTSAM on May 2. The exhibition will literally be carried away piece by piece by ticket holders who, in exchange for a small admission fee, will be gifted a numbered film canister which will correlate with numbered featured print.

This admission lottery will extend beyond gifting all attendees with limited works. Random canisters will also be stuffed with vouchers for darkroom sessions, workshops, scan vouchers, and camera items from Bayou Film, Wades World Photographics and more, all while enjoying organic tequila sampling from event partners Solento.

Rethinking the way photographers can approach exhibiting their work, Canisters is an experiment in rewarding artists for their craft while ensuring attendees are amply rewarded for their time. All ticket fees go back to featured artists.
See full details and secure Canisters tickets here.

Other standouts of the not-for-profit Flotsam photographic arts festival include a veritable cavalcade of ocean photographers of the highest realm in Flotsam International Masters of Surf, with over 40 of the world’s leading lensmen past and present to be featured. Each invitee submitted a single image to represent their contribution to their craft, with images going under the hammer at an exclusive launch and lunch at Kirra Beach House May 3rd. Outdoor exhibitions, photo trails that place images back to their original vantage point, and a host of other innovative free events that celebrate ocean-inspired film and photo make Flotsam a destination event worth a trek.

Rodrigo Reinoso, a Peruivan surfer living every surfers worst nightmare. Over the falls backwards at one othe worlds most deadly surf breaks Teahupoo in Tahiti. Shot by Ted Grambeau.

Curated by legendary surf photographer Ted Grambeau, the Masters of Surf exhibition includes images by Art Brewer, Andrew Sheild, Ben Thouard, Bill Morris, Brent Bielmann, Brian Bielmann, Brown Cannon, Cait Miers, Chris Burkard, Christa Funk, Chris Van Lennep, Corey Wilson, Dan Merkel, Daniel Russo, Damea Dorsey, Dave Sparkes, Dick Hoole, Erik Aeder, Helio Antonio, Jamie Scott, Jason Childs, Jeff Divine, Jeff Flindt, Joli, John Ogden, John Witzig, Mathew Tildesley, Mike Coots, Nathan Smith, Rammohan Paranjape, Rambo Estrada, Robert Brown, Russell Ord, Sean Davey, Simon Williams, Steve Sherman, Sylvain Cazenave, Ted Grambeau, Todd Glaser, Tom Servais, Tony Harrington, and Trent Slatter.

Award winning National Geographic photographer Craig Parry is running a water photography workshop. Craig will teach you everything from the basic surf and wildlife photography skills through to some of the most important secrets he has learnt over the past 25 years.

The Flotsam’s Media + Makers free event hosts forums on topics related to film, photography, and media alongside book +  surf art and craft market stalls. Author and former magazine Editor Tim Baker will run forum panel conversations with leading youth, travel and surf identities to discuss new media, how to make a living as a media freelancer, and the future of print, film and broadcast content. The Forum will also showcase books and magazines from independent publishers, artworks and more.

Parko. By Corey Wilson.

Flotsam’s signature outdoor photo exhibition Focal Point captures peak moments by top surf photographers and places them back in the vantage points they were taken from. Curated by Tim Baker, this series of installations tell the stories behind the images through informative captions and scannable QR codes for multimedia content. Follow the photo trail to Coolangatta beachfront, Greenmount, Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks and Point Danger lookout, featuring images from Simon Williams, Marty Tullemans, Andrew Shield, Fran Miller, Joli, Mal Sutherland, Ted Grambeau, Albe Falzon, Tony Harrington, and more.

The Festival runs from 1-12 May 2024.

Festival tickets are available here.

Focal Point Walking Tour | 2022 from Flotsam Festival on Vimeo.