photo festivals
summer 2026
Each of the festivals we attended had its own unique energy:
Arles with a broad, inclusive program that mixed icons of photography with emerging contemporary talents, the independent and conceptually driven exhibitions of Hamburg, and Łódź, where the programming felt uniquely intimate, accessible, and community-driven.
les rencontres de la photographie arles 2026
Despite the sweltering heat of Provence in July, Les Rencontres d’Arles is an essential stop on the photo circuit for those who make the annual pilgrimage. We suffer, but for the art it is absolutely worth it. With roughly 250 shows around the city, held in a labyrinth of transformed sites, there is the always the hope that inside the chapels and warehouses, galleries and garages that some cool air conditioning awaits. It’s hot outside but often hotter inside! We navigated this expanse to discover, and share here, some of the shows, that in our view, are non-negotiable. Our focus remains on emerging artists who bring fresh perspectives and inventive approaches to photography.
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triennial of photography
hamburg 2026
The Triennial of Photography Hamburg, one of Europe’s leading photo festivals, takes place in the port city Hamburg in Germany. Initiated in 1999 by fashion photographer and collector FC Gundlach, this year’s 9th edition Alliance, Infinity, Love – in the Face of the Other spans 11 exhibitions across 8 of the city’s major museums and exhibition spaces. In addition Triennial Expanded shows multiple, selected projects in galleries and project spaces, all responding to the thematic frame work, set by Artistic Director Mark Sealy.
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fotofestiwal
łódź 2026
Now in its 25th year, Fotofestiwal Łódź, organized and curated by a collective team, stands as one of the longest-running events on the European photo festival circuit. Set in central Poland, this year’s program tackled a variety of contemporary issues. At its core was the headline themed exhibition We, Animals, which invited photographic responses examining the deep, complex, and often contradictory relationship and mutual gaze between humans and animals. This was complemented by explorations into the climate crisis, AI, and the state of democracy.
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