PHotoESPAÑA, one of the most important international photography festivals, is set to return for its 28th edition, running from April 30 to September 14, 2025. This year’s festival promises to be an extraordinary celebration of photography, with a focus on its critical and transformative power. The theme of the 2025 edition, After All, reflects on photography’s ability to adapt, innovate, and confront the challenges of a rapidly changing world. It also celebrates the medium’s role in capturing historical moments and giving voice to the underrepresented, offering a rich programme that blends historical and contemporary perspectives.
For the first time, PHotoESPAÑA will feature a guest country: Chile. The Andean nation will present leading names in photography, alongside a series of exhibitions and activities that explore its complex history and culture. This inclusion marks a significant expansion of the festival’s international reach, highlighting the political, social, and artistic narratives that define Chile’s past and present.
The 2025 edition will also see PHotoESPAÑA expand its presence across Madrid’s cultural heart. Venues along the Prado-Recoletos-Castellana axis will play a central role, with the inclusion of new venues such as the National Museum of Anthropology and the National Archaeological Museum, alongside the return of prestigious institutions like the Prado Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. These institutions, together with established venues like the MAPFRE Foundation and the Canal Foundation, will host some of the most anticipated exhibitions of the year, making PHotoESPAÑA 2025 a must-see event for photography enthusiasts and art lovers alike.
One of the highlights of this year’s festival will be the exhibition After All, which takes its name from the edition’s theme. This major group show will delve into the evolution of photography from its documentary roots to its current role as a creative tool, using photography’s documentary power to interrogate contemporary challenges. The exhibition will feature iconic works from the Düsseldorf School, including pieces by Bernd and Hilla Becher, and will offer a unique opportunity to experience key works from the Helga de Alvear collection, being presented in Madrid for the first time.
The After All exhibition will also shine a spotlight on photography’s role in social and political change, as well as its potential for creative expression in times of uncertainty. From industrial landscapes to contemporary digital narratives, the festival will explore how photography remains an essential medium for questioning and reinterpreting the world.
The festival’s commitment to showcasing diverse voices is evident in its inclusion of leading photographers from around the globe, as well as a significant focus on female artists. Notable figures such as Lotty Rosenfeld, Nacho Criado, Ayana V. Jackson, Dora Maar, and Joel Meyerowitz will be featured in a range of exhibitions that span both historical and contemporary works. In particular, the festival will celebrate the work of Dora Maar, one of the most influential female photographers of the 20th century, with an exhibition that will include previously unpublished photographs and drawings.
A particularly exciting feature of PHotoESPAÑA 2025 is the inclusion of Ayana V. Jackson’s work, presented at the National Museum of Anthropology. Jackson’s self-portraits challenge historical stereotypes and offer new perspectives on race and gender. This exhibition marks her first in Europe, following her successful exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC. In a year that marks the 150th anniversary of the National Museum of Anthropology, this exhibition promises to be a landmark event in the festival’s programme.
Chile’s participation as the guest country will add another layer of depth to the festival’s exploration of social and political narratives. At the Círculo de Bellas Artes, visitors will be able to explore the work of Lotty Rosenfeld, a pioneering Chilean artist who used her photography to challenge the political realities of the Pinochet dictatorship. This exhibition will provide a poignant reflection on the power of art as a form of resistance. In the same venue, an exhibition will explore the relationship between Rosenfeld’s work and that of Nacho Criado, a prominent Spanish conceptual artist.
PHotoESPAÑA 2025 will also feature the Field Notebooks project, a collaborative initiative with National Heritage and ACCIONA that invites renowned photographers to engage with natural and historical spaces. This year, the project will feature the work of Bleda and Rosa, whose photographic exploration of time and nature will be showcased alongside the Monastery of Yuste.
With the inclusion of new venues, a diverse range of exhibitions, and a significant focus on female artists, PHotoESPAÑA 2025 will be a powerful testament to the importance of photography in capturing and shaping history. The festival will offer a comprehensive overview of the medium’s evolution, from its documentary origins to its current status as a tool for artistic expression and social change. As the world grapples with uncertainty and upheaval, photography remains a vital means of confronting the past, reflecting on the present, and imagining a different future.
For more information on exhibitions and events, visit the official PHotoESPAÑA website at phe.es.
