Bienal’25 Fotografia do Porto

From May 15 to June 29, several venues of the city will be showcasing emerging voices and established names that reflect on issues such as the relationship between humans and nature, social structures and their impact on our everyday life, activism, residing vs visiting, and more. Under the theme Amanhã Hoje (Tomorrow Today), this year’s edition lays out a programme that encourages critical reflection and action-taking rooted in the now. This programme is also structured around four main pillars: Conectar (to bridge, to exchange), Sustentar (to sustain, to preserve), Vivificar (to live, to stay), and Expandir (to expand, to grow).

All of the exhibitions are worth a visit, but we’ve handpicked some of our favourites. Starting with Lightseekers, a group show that, through “images of memory and images of oblivion,” highlights “the crucial role of awareness and knowledge in resisting erasure.” The artists included are Claudia Andujar, Hoda Afshar,  Christo Geoghegan, Pariacaca Collective, and Smith, all of which contribute with series about genocide, the desert, and ancient Amazonian ceremonies, connecting past and present, and reflecting on power structures, colonialism, and identity.

Meanwhile, Ties that Bind, another group show featuring Dev Dhusni, Ihar Hancharuk, Jan Durina, Donja Nasseri, and Sheung Yiu, among others, “explores and challenges the networks of interdependence linking social, natural, and scientific structures—frameworks that define us and shape how we connect to the world around us.”

The Galeria Municipal do Porto will be hosting Depth of Field, a solo show by Mónica de Miranda spanning video, performance, and installation, where she questions the division between opposites like presence/dissociation, distraction/connection, and utopia/memory. Meanwhile, the Leica Gallery will showcase Future Studies, by Luca Locatelli, where the photographer investigates new survival strategies in the face of the vast environmental crises we confront while questioning the economic system.

There are many more to look into, so make sure to check the biennale’s website to not miss them!