Phodar Biennial

15/10/2026

The open call for the 14th PHODAR Biennial is here. We invite you to submit your photographic series on the theme “Traces Remain” and become part of the new edition.

Discover the theme and entry details at .

As we look ahead, we revisit “Black Mountain” by Aggelos Barai, Grand Prize winner at the previous edition.

A mountain shaped by labour. Lives unfolding in its shadow.

In “Black Mountain,” Barai brings together images of work, landscape and remembrance. A worker among mining carts, figures crossing a scarred mountainside, flowers laid on a grave. Seen together, these photographs invite us to consider the ties between a place and the people whose lives are bound to it.

The stark black-and-white images give weight to both human presence and absence, moving between the scale of the mountain and the intimate details of individual lives.

Swipe through a selection from the series.

PhoAggelos Baraielos_barai
Series: Black Mountain

14/10/2026

A moment where nothing demands urgency.

In this series, Andrey Semenov searches for a “zero point” - a state of calm, free from the expectation that an artist must pursue a problem or offer its resolution.

River water, wind lifting a kite, a curious piece of glass. Across generations and cultures, children find joy in the same simple things. Through these moments, Semenov invites us to pause and recognise the experiences that connect us, beyond age, race or time.

What simple joy takes you back to childhood?

Photographs: .semenov

12/10/2026

Water as part of everyday life. And as a resource our future depends on.

In “PROJECT DENUNCIATION - Climate Change,” Javier Arcenillas draws attention to water scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa. In a region shaped by complex political and religious tensions, access to water could become a trigger for new conflicts.

These photographs capture quiet moments by the water - a human presence, personal belongings, a bond between a person and an animal. Beneath their apparent calm lies a question that connects the series: how does life change when water begins to run short?

Photographs: © Javier Arcenillas
Project: PROJECT DENUNCIATION - Climate Change

12/10/2026

https://phodar.net/en/articles/arles-encounters-with-photography

A personal journey through the exhibitions, discoveries and unexpected encounters of Arles

07/10/2026

OPEN CALL | XIV Phodar Biennial
Theme: Traces Remain

What do we preserve? What do we erase? What traces do we leave behind?

The XIV edition of the Phodar Biennial invites photographers to explore the marks that people, events and experiences leave on our surroundings and in our memory.

From personal histories and family archives to social transformations and altered landscapes, we welcome photographic series that interpret the theme “Traces Remain”.

Share your perspective. Submit your series.

Deadline: 31 December 2026
Full details and submissions: https://phodar.net

Photograph:

19/08/2026

Mallory Barry from the last edition of Phodar Biennial

06/07/2026

The first day of Phodar at Arles.

A lot of exhibitions and inspiring encounters...

06/07/2026

The first day of PHODAR in Arles.

A day full of exhibitions, conversations and impressions. Seeing the work of artists like Martine Barrat and Ming Smith reminded me why Arles remains one of the world’s most inspiring photography festivals.

Everywhere you look, people are carrying cameras. Nothing seems to stay unnoticed here.

You watch Arles. Arles watches you. 👀

ContemporaryPhotography

29/06/2026

Carolina Dutca and Valentin Sidorenko
No Man's Wedding

Some stories don't depict war—they transform it into a ritual.

In No Man's Wedding, Carolina Dutca and Valentin Sidorenko build a surreal universe where symbols, myths, and folk traditions merge into a haunting allegory of conflict, life, and death.

19/06/2026

PHODAR 2025 | Ricardo Lopes

What remains when the land that once fed a community becomes a source of gold?

Blessed Ground examines the impact of international gold mining near rural communities in Mozambique. Deprived of fertile lands, locals turned to artisanal mining, relying on income from gold panning despite limited job opportunities and a lack of restitution.

Mining has deepened poverty, weakened social structures, and led to issues such as gender-based violence. Hazardous chemicals like mercury and cyanide contaminate water, harming both human health and local ecosystems.

Ricardo Lopes is one of the photographers selected for Phodar Biennial 2025.

Follow us to discover more authors from this year's edition and stay tuned for the announcement of the theme for the next edition of Phodar Biennial.