Backlight Photo Festival 2026 is excited to present the artists selected for this year’s edition, curated under the theme The Art of Lying. The festival will take place in Tampere, Finland, from 1 to 21 September 2026.
The open call for the 2026 edition received 370 submissions from around the world, reflecting a high level of quality and diversity. The selected artists represent a wide range of perspectives on photography in a time shaped by artificial intelligence, constructed realities and shifting notions of truth.
The open call selection was made by curators Anna Ruth, Franek Ammer and Dana Benlakhdar.
The selected artists are:
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)
Sheung Yiu (Hong Kong / Finland)
Amin Yousefi (Iran / UK)
Ana Zibelnik & Jakob Ganslmeier (Slovenia / Germany / Netherlands)
All festival exhibitions will be open during the festival period, with some continuing beyond the official dates.
Further programme details will be announced in spring 2026.
