Sarajevo Photography Festival

Sarajevo Photography Festival Sarajevo Photography Festival
Opening Week 1 - 7 June 2026 Each year, the festival has a different theme that serves as a basis for the exhibitions and events.

Sarajevo Photography Festival is an annual event that takes place in Sarajevo, captivating capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The festival celebrates contemporary photography from around the world, bringing together established and emerging photographers from around the world to showcase their innovative work. Scheduled to take place in June 2023, the festival offers a dynamic range of activi

ties, including exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and discussions, as well as portfolio reviews and networking events. The exhibitions, comprising solo and group shows, feature an extensive variety of photographic styles and techniques. Furthermore, the festival offers workshops and lectures led by experienced photographers and industry experts. These sessions cover diverse topics, from technical skills to conceptual approaches, providing valuable insights into the broader photography landscape. The Sarajevo Photography Festival aims to promote photography as an art form, encourage dialogue and exchange between photographers and audiences, and showcase the cultural richness and diversity. The SPF’s first edition, held in 2022, received submissions from 30 different countries, demonstrating its substantial international reach and its ability to attract photographers from diverse regions and backgrounds. Winning an award at the Sarajevo Photography Festival can be a great accomplishment for photographers, as it can provide recognition and exposure for their work. Additionally, the festival offers an opportunity for photographers to connect with other artists and industry professionals. The Sarajevo Photography Festival is a professional and emotional event that has become an essential feature of the cultural landscape of Sarajevo, showcasing the power of photography as an art form. The Festival is organized by the Association Friends of Art and is supported by a number of local and international sponsors.

↳  First place in the   category at   goes to Xiaoping Lin | Xiaoping Lin from  !↳  A leap. A pursuit. A witness left wi...
23/06/2026

↳ First place in the   category at   goes to Xiaoping Lin | Xiaoping Lin from  !

↳ A leap. A pursuit. A witness left with questions. And the ultimate power behind the law of nature.

↳ Xiaoping Lin, a Chinese bird photographer, has been involved in photography since 1992. He has won numerous honors, including the 2025 CEWE Winner, 2022 XPOSURE First Place, 2023 HIPA Merit Medal, 2023 BigPicture Winner, and 2024 NBP Winner. His photographic works have been exhibited in photography shows around the world and published in various magazines and books. His lens captures vivid bird behaviors, interpreting life’s meaning. These images spark philosophical reflections on nature’s laws, reveal its majestic charm, and evoke inquiries into life’s essence.

↳ What does it mean for a cultural institution to claim neutrality in the face of violence? As part of the closing of Po...
23/06/2026

↳ What does it mean for a cultural institution to claim neutrality in the face of violence? As part of the closing of Posts for Resistance, the panel discussion brought together Michele Faguet, Peter Watkins, Lejla Kreševljaković, and Adna Muslija.

↳ The conversation examined whether cultural institutions can, or should, remain neutral amid censorship, injustice, and political violence. Moving beyond the exhibition itself, the speakers reflected on how cultural spaces operate not only as sites of presentation, but as active agents in shaping public discourse, solidarity, and accountability.

↳ Silence is never neutral. Every curatorial decision—what is shown, whose voice is centered, and what is excluded—produces meaning and carries responsibility. The discussion called for a sharper awareness of the role cultural actors play in either sustaining or challenging structures of erasure.

Photos: Amina Alađuz Lomigora

↳ First place in the   category at   goes to Mitar Simikić from  ! ↳  Bosniak and Roma children growing up together, bef...
21/06/2026

↳ First place in the category at goes to Mitar Simikić from !

↳ Bosniak and Roma children growing up together, before identity becomes division.

/ Brothers Husein (wearing a green T-shirt and overalls) and Aldin (wearing a light blue T-shirt) stand side by side, Bosniaks growing up alongside Roma children. As children, they are unaware of the prejudices that have been built against Roma people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What binds them is the endlessness of play, the only thing that truly matters in their upbringing.

↳ First place in the   category at   went to Giancarlo Paggetti / Giancarlo Pagetti from  .↳ In the stillness of departu...
20/06/2026

↳ First place in the category at went to Giancarlo Paggetti / Giancarlo Pagetti from .

↳ In the stillness of departure, photography finds its most powerful language / The Funeral of Pope Francis in 2025.

SarajevoPhotographyFestival

20/06/2026

Setting up the exhibition “Home of the Perpetually Lost” by Vedad Divović | .divovic. Behind the scenes with yours truly and .

Remember her name.Our marvellous grand prix 2026 winner Anya Tsaruk!    Photo: Jasmin Agović
19/06/2026

Remember her name.
Our marvellous grand prix 2026 winner Anya Tsaruk!



Photo: Jasmin Agović

19/06/2026

↳ When posts become walls, resistance becomes collective.
Recap of the exhibition “Posts for Resistance” at Gallery Manifesto — where art replaced the feed, and there was no space for silence.

17/06/2026

↳ We wanted to hear YOU.

↳ Our No Pressure reimagined the traditional format by shifting the focus from evaluation to conversations about the realities photographers face today. Uncertainty, visibility, precarity, and creative doubt. The emphasis was placed on process rather than perfection.

↳ We are deeply grateful to all our mentors for their time and openness:
* Fernanda Prado Verčič /
* Ilaria Sponda /
* Marko Drobnjaković /
* Pierre Mohamed-Petit /
* William Keo / .keo
* Yegan Mazandarani /

And to everyone who joined us — thank you for making this space open, thoughtful, and shared.

17/06/2026

↳ This edition of SPF, we were honoured to experience the exhibition ‘I Carried a Pine Cone in My Backpack’ by Inia Herenčić | , beautifully intimate encounter that gently revealed the power of silence, movement, and emotion within everyday fragments of life.

Address

Ferhadija
Sarajevo
71000

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