The Best Photography Festivals Opening This April

Fotografia Europea, Kyotographie, and San José Foto are among the festivals bringing contemporary photography around the world this month.

Fotografia Europea

Reggio Emilia, Italy / 28 April – 11 June

Since 2006, Fotografia Europea is one of the main international yearly appointments for contemporary photography in Italy, displaying historical as well as emerging work to the city of Reggio Emilia. 

With Luce Lebart joining Walter Guadagnini and Tim Clark’s artistic direction, this year’s edition titled “Europe Matters: Visions of a Restless Identity” explores the European countries’ sense of collective belonging, and the way it is shaped by myths and memory.

The exhibition in Chiostri di San Pietro will display works by Yelena Yemchuk on Odesa’s Military Academy, Geoffroy Mathieu on the Matsutake mushroom, Samuel Gratacap on the landscape of border crossing, Cédrine Scheidig on youth across France and Martinique, and Jean-Marc Caimi and Valentina Piccinni on Istanbul’s complexity, among many others. In Palazzo dei Musei, Luigi Ghirri’s photographs will be displayed next to the work of young Italian artists, selected through the Giovane Fotografia Italiana project. These are only two of the six historical main locations, enriched by an Off program all across the city of Reggio Emilia.

You can discover the whole program on Fotografia Europea’s website.

Kyotographie

Kyoto, Japan / 15 April – 14 May

This year’s edition of Kyotographie, themed “Border”, will question how lines can shape our existence, and explore the breaking of boundaries as an essential act for survival. Across the several venues in Kyoto, a complex visual discourse around political, urgent topics is articulated through a vast array of approaches. 

The program is rich in international, solo exhibitions of artists such as Yuriko Takagi, Yu Yamauchi, Joana Choumali, César Dezfuli, Coco Capitán, Dennis Morris, and Kazuhiko Matsumura among others. A World Press Photo exhibition will highlight the resilience of women as portrayed by photojournalism, and a show presented by the platform Women in Motion will shape a cross-generational dialogue between photographers Ishiuchi Miyako and Yuhki Touyama. Collaborations with Images Vevey and MEP Paris will also take place, with Roger Eberhard and Boris Mikhailov’s exhibitions. 

Find out more about the exhibitions' program on Kyotographie’s website.

San José Foto

San José, Uruguay / 20 April – 23 April

During three days, San José Foto will bring international work to the Uruguayan city with an unconventional approach to formats and spaces, searching for a deep connection between photographic images and the city's inhabitants.

International jurors Alfio Tommasini, María Aldaz, Maira Gamarra, and PhMuseum's curator Rocco Venezia selected 20 photographic and 4 multimedia proposals for the festival's fourth edition, representing the five continents: among many others, works by Julia Pontes, Juliana Gómez, M’hammed Kilito, Marcos Zegers, River Claure, Mayra Da Silva, Santiago Epstein, and Emilio Nasser will be displayed. A program of international guests will enrich the main exhibition locations, welcoming Seif Kousmate from Morocco, Ana Cristina Vallejo from Colombia, Yael Martínez from Mexico, Jonathas De Andrade from Brazil, Rehab Eldalil from Egypt, and many more. Several workshops, free portfolio reviews, and photographic meetings are a key part of the festival, representing a concrete opportunity for community making.

More information is to be found on the festival’s website.

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ALSO OPEN THIS MONTH:

Festival Circulation(s)

Paris, France / 25 March – 21 May

Circulation(s) is bringing young, talented European photographers to Paris for the 13th time, searching for ways to explore today's pressing questions through various conceptual and aesthetic approaches that blur the boundaries between photography and contemporary art. Find out more on their website.

Capture Photography Festival

Vancouver, Canada / 1 – 30 April

Western Canada's largest lens-based festival, connects Vancouver to the international contemporary photography scene through exhibitions in dozens of galleries and venues, alongside a Public Art and an Events Program comprising tours, talks, community events, and more. Explore the different exhibitions and events on their website.

Medium Festival of Photography

San Diego, USA / 1 – 16 April

More than 30 events make the program of Medium Festival of Photography in San Diego, centered around education and photography dissemination. Find out more on the several activities taking place, with workshops, studio visits, performances and much more, on Medium Festival's website.