Fotofestiwal, the international festival of photography in Łódź, Poland, opens on 18 June 2026 for its 25th edition. The festival features a series of exhibitions that explore the concept of collective experience, moving beyond a binary world of 'us' and 'them'. Notable works include Tommaso Protti's documentation of environmental exploitation in the Amazon, Feng Li's personal project on livestock and companionship, Ola Skowrońska's interpretation of the Curonian Spit's environmental history, and Luke Stephenson's insight into bird-keeping through photography. Other featured artists include Philip Montgomery, Richard Barnes, Adrian Chmielewski, Nikita Teryoshin, and Tanya Habjouqa.
The festival matters because it marks a significant milestone—25 years—for one of Poland's premier photography events, using the medium to address pressing global themes such as environmental destruction, social upheaval, and the human-animal relationship. By curating works that challenge binary thinking and emphasize collective experience, Fotofestiwal positions itself as a platform for critical visual storytelling, reinforcing the role of photography in fostering empathy and understanding in a divided world.