Exhibitions
One of contemporary photography’s most compelling figures, Steve McCurry brings the world premiere of his exhibition The Haunted Eye to Istanbul. The show gathers nearly 200 works spanning McCurry’s prolific 50-year career. Featuring both iconic images and never-before-seen photographs, this comprehensive selection is one of the artist’s largest exhibitions to date.
Steve McCurry, Young Tibetan Nomad, Tibet, 2001
2025 FESTIVAL
In its eighth 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 once again brought its 2025 program shaped in harmony with the city’s multicultural atmosphere to a wide audience. With 25 exhibitions spread across 13 venues, the festival transformed the city into an expansive route of discovery, creating a rich and immersive experience. Featuring renowned names such as Steve McCurry, Harry Gruyaert, Erwin Olaf, Tamer Yılmaz, Cooper & Gorfer, Frank Ockenfels 3, Christopher Herwig, Ecem Dilan Köse, Quayola, Tuba Geçgel, E S Kibele Yarman, Çağla Demirbaş, Ali Phi, and Erik Johansson, this year’s program brought together diverse creative disciplines—from photography to digital art, from installation to new media practices. This broad perspective once again highlighted the festival’s cultural diversity and the transformative power of art.
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, dance and 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: Alex Bex, Austin Cullen, Cristina Rizzi, Fatma Yalçın, Greta Valente, Jinyong Lian, Mahaut Azema, Tony Chirinos, Varvara Uhlik, and Zexuan Zeng. Hong Kong photographer Jinyong Lian won this year's competition.