| FotoFest is pleased to announce details of its upcoming international biennial. The Biennial 2026, Global Visions – FotoFest at 40,celebrates four decades of groundbreaking photographic arts and education programming in Houston, Texas.
From March 7 through May 10, 2026, the FotoFest Biennial returns to Houston’s Sawyer Yards exhibition spaces in Arts District Houston with a showcase of creative discovery and thought-provoking imagery. The works on view by over 450 artists from the United States and over 58 countries represent FotoFest’s sustained global impact and reach. The Biennial’s central exhibition will be organized chronologically, featuring significant works and themes from each of the 20 previous biennials from 1986 to 2024, and marking the organization’s contributions to photography.
Curated by FotoFest co-founder and former artistic director Wendy Watriss, and FotoFest executive director Steven Evans with co-curators Annick Dekiouk and Madi Murphy, the Biennial 2026 dives deeply into the international and local archives of FotoFest’s 40-year legacy and renews contact with hundreds of artists. It reconstitutes the organization’s widely praised exhibitions and citywide photo and mixed-media presentations that have defined FotoFest’s pioneering history. Photographs from past biennials span themes of geography, identity, war, ecology, and social change, demonstrating FotoFest’s global reach and impact.
Global Visions – FotoFest at 40 is a bold, timely, and textured presentation featuring hundreds of artists whose work has shaped FotoFest into a global destination for photography and visual culture since its first Biennial in 1986. This history will be chronicled in a new 400-page book, co-published by Schilt Publishing, and will offer an in-depth look at FotoFest’s history and the ground-breaking reach of its programs.
Additionally, the Biennial 2026 will present new commissions from Lola Flash, Shavon Aja Morris, and André Ramos-Woodard. Works by Mónica Alcázar-Duarte, Adrian L. Burrell, Lalla Essaydi, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Flor Garduño, Alfredo Jaar, Dorothea Lange, Susan Meiselas, Luis González Palma and Doug and Mike Starn will be part of the 1986–2024 Biennial exhibitions. More details on artist commissions and presentations will be announced soon.
Citywide Collaboration and Celebration
The Biennial 2026 will honor FotoFest’s 40-year, citywide collaborations with Houston-based artists and arts institutions across the entire metropolitan area. The number and diversity of participating venues, led by the city’s internationally known museums, illuminate the strength of the city’s visual art resources.
Classical and lens-based exhibitions, public programs, and vibrant events are hosted by Houston institutions. Among them are: The Menil Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University, Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS), Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC), Houston Center for Photography (HCP), Project Row Houses, Moody Gallery, Inman Gallery, and Uncle Bob’s Photo Zine Market/FLATS. There are over 75 participating venues in the Biennial 2026. Special regional collaborations include an art tour of Galveston, Texas, and a Philip Glass opera featuring photography performed by the Galveston Symphony Orchestra.
For more information, visit www.FotoFest.org. Follow FotoFest on Instagram and Facebook.
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