XPOSURE TRACES HUMAN AND GLOBAL TRANSFORMATIONS

The IOth edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival 2026 will feature a Documentary Zone dedicated to long-form visual projects built on research, fieldwork, and storytelling over time.

- Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

From Shoayb Khattab's gallery Sacred Geometry the work “The King Abdullah Expansion of Masjid al-Haram began in 2008, adding multi-level extensions, new stairways, tunnels, a gate, and two minarets. Covering 400,000 m², it increased capacity to over 2.5 million and cost over $30 billion.”

The zone showcases 13 documentary exhibitions by photographers representing diverse approaches and schools of practice, addressing themes such as climate change, displacement, identity, memory, and cultural customs and traditions.

Together, the exhibitions invite visitors to experience photography as a complete visual narrative, grounded in ethical responsibility and truthful documentation.

Further strengthening public engagement with documentary photography, Xposure 2026 presents a series of talks and workshops in which visitors meet photographers exhibiting at the Documentary Zone.

The talks explore how long-term projects are developed, examine the challenges of field photography in sensitive and high-risk environments, and discuss the ethics of documentary visual storytelling.

Exhibitions in the Documentary Zone include prominent practitioners such as Michael Yamashita, one of National Geographic's most recognised photographers; Tomasz Tomaszewski, known for human-centred work in sensitive environments; Philippe Chancel, whose documentary projects examine political change and identity; and Anush Babajanyan, noted for extended field projects in conflict zones and contexts of social transformation.