GU.PHO. 2025

GU.PHO. is the first International Vernacular Photo Festival in Europe, established in 2022 to promote culture through study sessions, exhibitions, workshops, and publishing initiatives on vernacular photography.

The first International Vernacular PhotoFestival in Europe returns—once again in June, once again at the Castle of Guiglia, but this time with an extra weekend.

The fourth edition, organized by the Municipality of Guiglia in collaboration with the newly established association GU.PHO. – Centro per la Fotografia Vernacolare APS and the Circolo Ribalta of Vignola, features thirteen Italian and international artists and collectives – Lukas Birk, Jean-Marie Donat, Tiane Doan na Champassak, Erik Kessels, Matthieu Nicol, Cemre Yeşil Gönenli, Alessandra Calò, Yvonne De Rosa, Francesco Lughezzani, Matteo Schiavoni, PetriPaselli, Sergio Smerieri, Vernacular Social Club – along with Leporello Photobooks and s.t. foto libreria galleria from Rome and Sugar Paper from Modena.

As for the artistic direction, while Sergio Smerieri remains an active and key member of the scientific committee, he passes the baton to Giorgia Padovani and Marcello Coslovi. A major new feature this year is the collaboration with the Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “A. Venturi”, as part of a school-work alternation program.

The Festival, international in scope both in its themes and its guests, is structured around two weekends dedicated to the topic of vernacular photography— the body of images taken by ordinary (non-professional) people in everyday life situations, for personal use. It refers to the application of photography to native, private, local, or family dimensions, with the aim of capturing a memory or an introspective and particular moment.

Five talks complete the festival program: Non Esistono Fotografie Private curated by Michele Smargiassi, Midnight Spicy Picture Show curated by Erik Kessels, The Shadow Archive curated by Fabio Severo, Memoria Futura curated by Davide Tranchina, and L’opera Senza Autore curated by Luca Panaro and Sergio Smerieri.

In addition, there will be project presentations by Tiane Doan na Champassak, Matthieu Nicol, Yvonne De Rosa with Simone Azzoni, Cemre Yeşil Gönenli with Lukas Birk and the team from Sugar Paper, and Alessandra Calò in dialogue with festival directors Giorgia Padovani and Marcello Coslovi.

The program also includes Photobooks for Breakfast, an event organized by Sugar Paper, an evening dedicated to independent films curated by Giovanni Sabbatini, director of the Ribalta Experimental Film Festival, the workshop Archives, Books, and Storylines led by Lukas Birk, and portfolio reviews on Sunday, June 22.