Legacy: A Life as a Photographer and Filmmaker traces more than five decades of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s work, from the 1970s to the present. Bringing together Earth from Above, The French, Good Breeding, The Horses, and his early photographs from Kenya, the exhibition reveals the enduring vision that runs through his practice: a view of people, animals, and the environments they inhabit as interconnected parts of a shared world.
A Botanical Affair brings together Swedish photographer Helene Schmitz’s Blow Up and Linnaeus Project, approaching her engagement with plants and nature from two different perspectives. While Blow Up focuses on the surreal beauty of plants through different stages of growth and decay, Linnaeus Project questions the human relationship with nature through the impulse to classify and systematise it. Throughout her photographic practice, Schmitz explores the complex relationship between nature, time and humanity. In Carnivores, Schmitz focuses on carnivorous plants, where beauty and danger meet in their sophisticated strategies for attracting, trapping and capturing prey.
2026 FESTIVAL
In its ninth edition, 212 Photography Istanbul once again brought an innovative perspective to the city, energizing every corner it reached. With a comprehensive program that extended far beyond photography, the festival offered a multilayered experience from exhibitions, workshops, talks, and guided tours to film screenings, concerts, dance, and performances, as well as architecture-focused events and portfolio reviews. Bringing together a wide range of creative disciplines, this year’s program invited visitors to discover the city through new routes and diverse cultural encounters.
EXHIBITONS
212 Photography Istanbul brought its 2026 program to audiences across more than 25 locations and 12 distinctive exhibition venues throughout the city. Featuring internationally renowned names including Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Martin Parr, Frank Horvat, Jill Greenberg, Désirée Dolron, and Colours of Scandinavia, alongside Brazilian Modernist Photography, 1939–1964, the festival brought together photography, film, installation, and multidisciplinary practices. Welcoming over 150,000 visitors, its 9th edition once again transformed Istanbul into an expansive route of discovery through photography.
EVENTS
212 Photography Istanbul, which infuses its program with innovative and dynamic elements each year, once again offered audiences a wide-ranging and comprehensive cultural journey through its collaborations and events spanning diverse fields. With film screenings, concerts, book signings, performance events, portfolio reviews, meetings, talks, and workshops, the festival created an interdisciplinary space for immersive experiences.
COMPETITION
The 212 International Photography Competition, held as part of 212 Photography Istanbul, has been organized since 2018 to discover and give visibility to photographers from around the world. It supports the discovery of photographers of all ages, both professional and amateur, from around the world and Turkey who are interested in photography. The competition, which attracted significant interest and participation, saw the following 10 winners: Berk İşeri, Blagovesta Semkova, Claudia Greco, Denys Kutsevalov, Emin Berk, Enamul Kabir, Gökhan Tanrıöver, Marie Sueur, Sebastian Kahnert, Umberto Diecinove. Bulgarian based photographer Blagovesta Semkova won this year's competition.