FotoFest is curating and commissioning 20 exhibitions around dual themes: The Earth and Artists Responding to Violence. The Earth continues and expands the FotoFest 2004 exploration of Water, combining conceptual and figurative interpretations of earth through artistic expression, science, and public policy. Artists Responding to Violence is a separate but connected theme to The Earth. Human-created violence, from war to the household, is omni-present and ubiquitous. It is not only threatening the existence of earth but is transforming the nature of political society. In exploring this theme, FotoFest is not focusing on the depiction of violent acts but rather on how creative artists interpret these acts of violence, the human capacity for violence, and the presence of violence in many aspects of life. Artists Responding to Violence This is a separate but related theme to that of Earth. The capacity of human society to inflict violence upon itself and the Earth is expanding with the ever increasing spread of technology. In exploring and confronting this theme, FotoFest is not focusing on depiction of violent acts but rather on how creative artists interpret acts of violence and the human capacity for violence in all aspects of life. As with the theme of Earth, FotoFest is looking for conceptual work. It can be staged, photojournalistic, or abstract. It can also be cross-disciplinary.