KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival, one of Japan's premier photography events, has announced its 2025 edition, running from April 12 to May 11. The 13th edition, themed "HUMANITY," will feature works by 13 artists from 10 countries, exploring human nature and relationships through exhibitions housed in Kyoto's historic buildings and contemporary architectural spaces.
The Matterhorn, Alps, 1990 © Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
The festival, which has attracted approximately 1.86 million visitors to date, welcomed over 270,000 visitors in 2024, continuously expanding its scope and quality as an independent art festival.
This year's theme, "HUMANITY," focuses on human capacity for love, empathy, and resilience in facing contemporary society's complex challenges. A notable aspect is the exploration of human nature through dual cultural perspectives: Japanese and Western. The Japanese viewpoint emphasizes relationships with others and harmony with nature, while the Western perspective highlights individuality, freedom, and universal moral principles.
Motherland: The Festive Tableau, 2009 © Pushpamala N
The Chronicles of San Francisco, Lightbox, USA, 2018 © JR
The participating artists approach human nature from diverse perspectives. India's Pushpamala N addresses colonialism and gender issues through her body, while French artist JR captures Kyoto's community relationships through a large-scale participatory photo project.Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide presents her first major exhibition in Japan, and Okinawa-based Mao Ishikawa showcases work spanning from 1970s military base life to ongoing island photography, demonstrating relationships transcending time.
Britain's Martin Parr offers his unique take on mass tourism, while France's Eric Poitevin reinterprets classical themes through nature and the human form. Palestinian-American Adam Rouhana portrays contemporary Palestine through personal memories, and Japan's Tamaki Yoshida questions human-nature relationships.
Lee Shulman and Omar Victor Diop reinterpret 1950s–60s American racial discrimination photographs with a contemporary lens, while Laetitia Ky expresses cultural identity through hair sculptures. Japanese photographer Keijiro Kai explores human essence through traditional combat festivals worldwide, Ireland's Eamonn Doyle expresses universal themes of family loss through photography and music, and Taiwan's Hsing-Yu Liu creates work examining same-sex marriage through reality and fantasy.
Beyond exhibitions, the festival offers diverse programs including artist talks, workshops, and film screenings. It also features children's programs for next-generation development, portfolio reviews, and masterclasses supporting photographers' growth.
The sister event, KYOTOPHONIE Borderless Music Festival, runs concurrently, expanding the photography festival's themes through sound and performance. Additionally, the satellite event KG+ showcases emerging photographers and curators' works throughout the city. KYOTOGRAPHIE 2025 promises to illuminate the diversity and complexity of human experience while offering new perspectives on contemporary social challenges.
KYOTOGRAPHIE 2025
International Photography Festival
Duration: April 12 (Sat) - May 11 (Sun), 2025
Passport Tickets: General Admission: ¥6,000 (Advance ¥5,500) Students: ¥3,000
(Same price for advance tickets)
Website：https://www.kyotographie.jp/
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