The 25th edition of Fotofestiwal has officially come to an end, but you can still catch seven of our exhibitions!
The first-ever exhibition in Poland dedicated to the iconic chronicler of contemporary United States of America, Philip Montgomery, 50 exhibitions spread across the city, dozens of accompanying events, 30,000 photography enthusiasts, and not one but two vibrant festival hubs —this is how Fotofestiwal celebrated its 25th anniversary. Although this year’s edition has officially come to an end, visitors can still explore seven exhibitions from the festival programme.
Until 12 July, Hilary Majewski’s Tenement House presents Called to the Carpet by Sasha Velichko. Drawing on her own experience as a persecuted activist, the artist has created handwoven carpets portraying political prisoners from her native Belarus. The works are accompanied by photographs of everyday objects the women share in prison to help one another survive and maintain a sense of agency—such as chess pieces made from leftover bread or improvised makeup applicators handcrafted from their own hair.
Until 9 August, the Cultural Hub of Kino Charlie hosts f/5.6, an exhibition of works by Bogdan Dziworski. This comprehensive retrospective of the artist’s long career presents street photography and documentary work from the second half of the twentieth century, featuring both well-known images and previously unpublished photographs specially selected from the photographer’s extensive archive.
Meanwhile, Karolina Gembara’s A Mind of Winter, on view at Bałucka Gallery until 30 August, explores trauma and post-memory. Developed over more than a decade, the project focuses on the forced resettlements that took place in Poland’s Recovered Territories after the Second World War.
At the Art Propaganda Centre of the Municipal Art Gallery in Łódź, located in Sienkiewicz Park, visitors can see Poland’s first exhibition by acclaimed American photojournalist Philip Montgomery until 6 September. American Cycles features portraits alongside celebrated documentary series published in magazines such as The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker, as well as the artist’s latest, previously unseen works. Together, they trace some of the defining moments of the past decade in the United States, including Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd, Donald Trump’s first populist presidential campaign, Black Lives Matter protests, and the aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricane Irma.
Until 13 September, as part of the City Programme, visitors can also see DADA ZOO by Igor Omulecki at Chimera Gallery. Focusing on the figure of the animal, the artist combines photographs from family archives and public-domain collections with his own works, spanning both earlier projects and new creations.
Until 14 September, Koncept Gallery PKO Bank Polski, located at 66 Kilińskiego Street, presents the special exhibition Eclipse by Adrian Chmielewski. This visual record of contemporary club and festival culture offers an intimate, almost cinematic story about music and the human need for community. Admission is free.
The longest-running exhibition, open until 31 December, is The School of Seeing. The City at the Herbst Palace Museum. Curated by Katarzyna Kończal, the exhibition proposes a dialogue between photography and text from the second half of the nineteenth century to the present day. Rather than depicting a single place, the photographs are united by a shared approach to documenting, exploring, and understanding urban space.
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