FotoFest unveils a bold new edition, offering a visual journey through the major themes, exhibitions, and programs that have shaped its international biennials. The 2026 Biennial, Global Visions – FotoFest at 40, celebrates four decades of photographic practice and innovative educational projects in Houston, Texas.
On this occasion, artist Karen Knorr will present a selection of photographs from her iconic series Gentlemen (1981–1983), which subtly and ironically examines the codes of power, class, and masculinity within the circles of the British establishment.
From March 7 to May 10, 2026, the Sawyer Yards galleries, in the heart of Houston’s Arts District, will host this edition dedicated to creative discovery and critical reflection, bringing together artists from the United States and more than 58 countries.
Conceived by FotoFest co-founder and former artistic director Wendy Watriss, executive director Steven Evans, and co-curators Annick Dekiouk and Madi Murphy, the Biennial’s eponymous central exhibition draws on the international and local archives of FotoFest’s forty-year history. It revisits the exhibitions, publications, and citywide photographic and multimedia presentations that have shaped the institution’s pioneering identity.
The result is a rich and resolutely contemporary project, bringing together hundreds of artists whose works have made FotoFest a global reference point for photography and visual culture since its first Biennial in 1986. This collective history will also be published in an accompanying book.
Exhibition venue:
Sawyer Yards Galleries, 2000 Edwards Street, Houston, TX 77007
