Presented by Nuanu Creative City, the FOTO Bali Festival 2026 sifted through nearly 700 entries from over 80 countries to select 36 visionary photographers for its second edition.
Running from 3 June to 12 July 2026 in Bali, the festival’s theme, Afterimage, explores the persistence of memory and how images shape our understanding of the present.
Among the selected practitioners is Philippine-based visual artist Gab Mejia, whose project White Water serves as a centerpiece of the festival’s dialogue on history and environment. Using flood-damaged family archives and documenting coastal communities, Mejia’s work explores the intersection of climate change, rising sea levels, and colonial history in the Philippines. His approach poignantly interrogates how shifting shorelines challenge our fixed perceptions of borders, national identity, and the collective memory of the archipelago.
The full list of selected artists—representing 24 countries—includes:
- Asia-Pacific powerhouses: Akshay Mahajan (India), Arhant Shrestha (Nepal), Joyantee Raina (Bangladesh), Vinit Gupta (India), Yuki Furusawa (Japan), plus eight Indonesians including Aprillio Abdullah Akbar, Aziziah Diah Aprilya, and Keyza Widiatmika.
- Americas innovators: Alessandro Bo (Mexico), Daniela Balestrin (Brazil), Joel Jimenez (Costa Rica), Martín Bollati (Argentina), Nicolás Bernal (Colombia), Rodrigo Illescas (Argentina), Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo (Colombia), Valeria Arendar (Argentina/Mexico).
- Europe & beyond: Chiara Goia (Italy), Charmaine de Heij (Netherlands/Suriname), Igor Schiller (Serbia), Kate Perfilieva (Russia), Lars Dyrendom & Inuk Jørgensen (Denmark/Greenland), Nadège Mazars (France).
- Africa & other voices: Kibe Nduni (Kenya), Bertha Wang (China), Jiatong Lu (China), Ha Dao (Vietnam), Sean Cham (Singapore), Chloe Bartram (Australia), Anita Khemka & Imran Kokiloo (India), Ceicillia Dita (Indonesia), Made Virgie Avianthy (Indonesia), Muhammad Dwiki Viansa (Indonesia), Primagung D. Riliananda (Indonesia), Wimadetra (Indonesia).
Festival Director Kelsang Dolma noted the importance of the open call: “We want FOTO Bali Festival to open up a wider conversation between photographic practices from different contexts, without geographical or generational boundaries.” Supporting this initiative, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism, emphasized that “Wonderful Indonesia supports initiatives that strengthen Indonesia’s creative ecosystem and cultural dialogue.”
The selection process was highly competitive, with only 5% of entries ultimately chosen. Curators Kurniadi Widodo and Putu Sridiniari curated the final selection to reflect a diversity of visual languages, ranging from conceptual photography to documentary projects that highlight how images continue to circulate and influence our world.
Visit the website or follow their Instagram @fotobalifestival for more information on the festival.