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From the US-Mexico border to protests in Poland: highlights of PhotoEspaña 2026
Spain’s leading festival of photography showcases the work of more than 300 visual artists in nearly 100 exhibitions across the country
TL;DR
- PhotoEspaña festival in Madrid features nearly 100 exhibitions by over 300 artists across Spain.
- The festival's theme is 'Reimagining,' showcasing diverse approaches by visual artists.
- Alejandro Cartagena's work explores the US-Mexico border's impact on identity.
- Laia Abril presents intimate portraits of women and a trans man experiencing endometriosis pain.
- Viviane Sassen's retrospective 'Lux and Umbra' covers her eclectic career influenced by fashion and art history.
- Rafał Milach's exhibition focuses on engaged documentary photography and protest art in Poland.
- Other exhibitions delve into themes of life on the road, commuting routines, colonial gazes, and the transition to the digital era.
- Two exhibitions pay homage to canonical photobooks: Richard Avedon's 'In the American West' and Robert Frank's 'The Americans'.