Backlight Photo Festival 2026
The Art of Lying
1–21 September 2026 | Tampere, Finland
Backlight Photo Festival returns to Tampere in September 2026 with the theme The Art of Lying. Curated by Anna Ruth, the festival brings together contemporary artists from around the world to examine the shifting relationship between truth, fiction, technology and photographic representation.
Through exhibitions, artist talks and public events, the festival explores how images shape our understanding of reality in an era marked by artificial intelligence, misinformation and competing narratives. Building on Backlight’s long tradition of socially engaged photography, The Art of Lying invites audiences to reflect on the power of images and the stories they tell.
Theme
Photography has never been a neutral medium. Every image is shaped by choices, omissions and interpretations. Today, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems and synthetic imagery has further complicated our relationship to photographic truth.
The Art of Lying examines how truth is constructed, manipulated and contested through images. The exhibition projects explore personal, political and technological dimensions of representation, asking what remains visible, what is hidden and how visual narratives influence the ways we understand ourselves and the world around us.
Taiteilijat
Katerina Angelopoulou (Greece)
Jo Duck (Australia)
David Ellingsen (Canada)
Joel Jimenez Jara (Costa Rica / Spain)
Akshay Mahajan (India)
André Ramos-Woodard (USA)
Rafael Roncato (Brazil / Netherlands)
Sasha Velichko (Belarus / Poland)
Timo Wright (Finland / Japan)
Sheung Yiu (Hong Kong / Finland)
Amin Yousefi (Iran / UK)
Ana Zibelnik & Jakob Ganslmeier (Slovenia / Germany / Netherlands)
Tapahtumapaikat
Vooninkisali (Väinö Linnan aukio 13)
The festival’s main exhibition.
Wheelchair accessible.
Photographic Centre Nykyaika (Kauppakatu 14)
Solo exhibitions.
Not wheelchair accessible.
Gallery Koppelo (Kauppakatu 14)
Student exhibition developed in collaboration with Tampere University, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam Photo and Willem de Kooning Academy (The Netherlands).
Not wheelchair accessible.
All the venue locations are easily reached by foot and public transport.
Programme
The festival programme will include:
- Opening weekend with a seminar, exhibition openings and screening
- Artist talks
- Workshop
- Guided tours
Full programme will be published in August 2026.
Supported by
Backlight Photo Festival 2026 is made possible through the generous support of our funding partners and collaborators:
Finnish Cultural Foundation, Finnish Arts and Culture Agency, C.V. Åkerlund Media Foundation, Finnfoto, City of Tampere, Patricia Seppälä Foundation and Otto A. Malm’s Donation Fund.
Produced by Valokuvakeskus Nykyaika