PhMuseum Days 2026

PhMuseum Days returns to Bologna from 1 to 4 October 2026, alongside the second edition of Photobook Mania, PhMuseum’s exhibition dedicated to independent publishing.

The fifth edition of the PhMuseum International Photography Festival explores the theme Archipelago, a visual and philosophical investigation inspired by Massimo Cacciari’s reflections on the crisis of modernity, fragmented boundaries and new contemporary geographies.

Through photography exhibitions, book presentations, workshops and talks, the festival creates a space for dialogue between different aesthetic languages, artistic practices and cultural perspectives. The main exhibition programme takes place at the Ex Ospedale dei Bastardini, before expanding across Bologna to venues including the Cortile dell’Archiginnasio, the former municipal billboards in collaboration with CHEAP, and the PhMuseum Lab.

The programme also includes an OFF Circuit, involving independent spaces and galleries throughout the city. Running alongside the festival, Photobook Mania returns on 3 and 4 October at Serra Madre, Giardini Margherita: a book fair dedicated to photobooks, international publishers and artists.

Integrated keywords: contemporary photography, photography festival in Bologna, PhMuseum, photography exhibitions, photobooks, cultural events in Bologna.