In today鈥檚 fast-paced and visually driven world, photography holds immense power as a medium of storytelling, documentation聽and social change. Images transcend language, evoke deep emotions聽and shape collective consciousness. Whether through artistic expression, journalistic truth-telling, or experimental innovation, photographs serve as windows into different realities聽鈥撀燽oth personal and global. The following list highlights some of the most significant聽festivals聽taking place this season, each offering a unique perspective on the human experience and the pressing issues of our time. These events celebrate the art of photography but also spark dialogue, question norms, and, ultimately, drive change.
罢丑别听PhotoVogue聽Festival 2025, held from聽6- 9聽March at BASE Milano in Milan, Italy, has established itself as a significant event on the global stage by merging fashion photography with pressing global conversations. This year’s theme, The Tree of Life: A Love Letter to Nature, explores the intricate relationship between humans and the natural world. The festival features聽work聽from 45 artists and five video makers worldwide, selected through an open call. Visitors will engage with exhibitions and discussions that delve into human-animal relationships, environmental challenges, and sustainability. There’s also Latin America Panorama, offering a glimpse of the region through the lens of its talented artists. The festival is directed by Alessia聽Glaviano聽and co-curated by Caterina De聽Biasio聽and Daniel Rodr铆guez Gordillo. |
The 15th edition of Circulations, the festival of young European photography, is at Centquatre-Paris from 5 April – 1 June. It celebrates 23 emerging photographers and aims to “reflect the richness, contrasts, trends and challenges of the contemporary world.” Amongst the line-up is Italian artist Claudia Fuggetti, whose bright chromatic interventions present nature from a new angle, reminding us that we are聽collectively responsible for protecting the environment in the midst of the ongoing challenges presented by the anthropocene. There is a special focus on Lithuania; Ieva Baltaduonyte,聽Agne Gintalaite, Visvaldas Morkevi膷ius and聽Paulius Petraitis are all presenting work this year. |
罢丑别听KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival 2025, taking place from聽12聽April to聽11聽May聽in Kyoto, Japan, is renowned for its unique blend of historical and contemporary exhibition spaces. This year’s theme, “humanity,” features works by 13 artists from 10 countries, exploring human nature and relationships. Notable participants include聽Pushpamala聽N, JR, Graciela Iturbide, Martin Parr聽and Eric聽Poitevin. Visitors will experience exhibitions addressing themes like colonialism, gender聽and community relationships, set against the backdrop of Kyoto’s rich cultural heritage.聽|
Photo Brussels Festival, running until聽23聽February, returns with a month of events that tap into the zeitgeist of contemporary photography. The ninth edition includes exhibitions like聽The Subtle Gesture, in which Rami Hara and Ugo Woatzi question the expectations tied to masculinities and explore plural identities. Elsewhere, there鈥檚 an exploration of generative images in聽AImagine, where visitors can explore the intersection of AI and photography through works like Pascal聽Sgro’s Cherry Airlines, plus several shows that dive into contemporary abstraction. Photojournalism is another topic under scrutiny; G茅opolis pays tribute to Gazan correspondents working聽on the ground. Plus, there are exhibitions by聽Eikoh Hosoe, Anders Petersen, and Frederik聽Buyckx聽across various Belgian galleries.聽|
New Photography 2025: Lines of Belonging, on view from聽14聽September to聽17聽January 2026 at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, marks the 40th anniversary of MoMA’s celebrated New Photography series. This exhibition brings together 13 international artists and collectives who explore sites of belonging and forms of interconnectedness. Featured artists include Sandra Blow, Tania Franco Klein, Lake聽Verea, Gabrielle Goliath,聽Lebohang聽Kganye, Sabelo Mlangeni,聽Lindokuhle聽Sobekwa, Nepal Picture Library,聽Sheelasha聽Rajbhandari,聽Prasiit聽Sthapit, L.聽Kasimu聽Harris, Renee Royale聽and Gabrielle Garcia聽Steib. Visitors will encounter works that weave personal stories within broader political histories, offering perspectives on intergenerational memory and reimagined archives. |聽
These photography exhibitions exemplify the power of the image in shaping the聽way the world is seen and聽understood.聽Themes of humanity and belonging聽are explored聽alongside聽the wider聽implications聽of new聽technology and聽its impact on聽artistic expression.聽Photography聽has always聽documented, provoked聽and inspired,聽and now that we聽have聽15-megapixel聽cameras in our pockets, and access to AI tools, we need to continue to ask the question 鈥 what is next? These festivals make us stop and think about the adage 鈥渟eeing is believing” 鈥 a saying we might need to reframe as we enter a new era of photographic practice.聽
Words: Shirley Stevenson
Image Credits:
1. Tania Franco Klein.聽Mirrored Table, Person (Subject #14)听蹿谤辞尘听Subject Studies: Chapter 1. 2022. Inkjet print. 29 1/2 脳 39 1/2鈥 (74.9 脳 100.3 cm). 漏 2024 Tania Franco Klein. Courtesy the artist
2. Imraan Christian, Meta, 2023.
3. Claudia Fuggetti, from Metamorphosis.
4. The Artificial beach inside the Ocean Dome, Miyazaki, Japan, 1996 漏 Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
5. The Subtle Gesture 漏 Rami Hara.聽
6. Gabrielle Goliath. Berenice 29鈥39 (detail). Eleven inkjet prints. Each 35 7/16 脳 35 7/16鈥 (90 脳 90 cm). 漏 2034 Gabrielle Goliath. Photo: Martin Parsekian
