Sarajevo Photography Festival 2025 Opens

(Patria) - With the opening of the exhibition "Leaving and Waving" by renowned American artist Deanna Dikeman, the 4th edition of the Sarajevo Photography Festival, one of the most significant events dedicated to contemporary photography in the region, was ceremonially opened at the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina.



In a full hall of the National Gallery, program director Jelena Janković thanked the attendees and emphasized that Deanna Dikeman's work was the first selected project for this year's festival edition.

- When I asked Deanna where the line between private and artistic is, she told me her goal was to mark love and relationships – not to create a series that would make her famous, but one that lives for itself – Janković added.

This intimate and touching series of photographs was created over 27 years, during which Dikeman documented moments of farewell with her parents in front of their house in the American city of Sioux City.



The series testifies to the passage of time, aging, loss, and the silence of everyday goodbyes – up to the last photograph, where the driveway to the house remains empty.

The Sarajevo Photography Festival brings together photographers, curators, galleries, and art lovers from the region and the world, and this year's program particularly highlights current social and ecological challenges through the theme of Weltschmerz.

A press conference was also held on the opening day, featuring Aida Redžepagić, festival director, Jelena Janković, program director, and Dženat Dreković, photographer.



Redžepagić pointed out that the Sarajevo Photography Festival has evolved from a local initiative into a globally relevant event that collaborates with key cultural institutions.

These include the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Goethe-Institut, Europe House, the European Union in BiH, the Spanish Embassy in BiH, the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo, the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton, Canon Avtera, as well as the platform Culture on the Streets.

- This year's festival received submissions from as many as 66 countries. I am proud that we are building a festival that connects, educates, and provides opportunities for both young and established photographers – Redžepagić stated.



Program director Janković emphasized that the Festival is conceived as a meeting place for the local, regional, and international photography scene, fostering accessibility, openness, and community.

- The programs are free and accessible to everyone. Special focus is placed on workshops, lectures, and sessions with top professionals, offering participants opportunities for professional development and networking – Janković noted.

This year's festival theme, Weltschmerz, runs through all program lines – from exhibitions and the educational program to artistic expression.



One of the most striking exhibitions at the festival is "Bamburci" by Dženat Dreković, who, through a personal narrative and documentation of a pagan custom held for over 600 years in the village of Ratevo, North Macedonia, sheds light on themes of forgotten traditions, identity, and the quiet desolation in places from which young people leave.

- We are all Bamburci – everything we tried to expel, we actually become – said Dreković, referring to the emotional connection between childhood and collective trauma.



Within the festival, numerous other exhibitions will be opened: the collective Belgrade Raw and artist Jelena Nikolić are exhibiting the series "Not many things disgust me, a lot of things make me sad" at the Manifesto gallery, while Dženat Dreković presents his powerful conceptual cycle "Bamburci" at the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On Susan Sontag Square, the series "Solar Portraits" by Spanish photographer Rubén Salgado Escuder will be exhibited, and an exhibition of the festival's finalists can be viewed at the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The festival also has a competitive character this year, with a Grand Prix award of 2,000 euros, while winners in eight categories (portrait, documentary photography, life, fashion, conceptual photography, landscape, event, and mobile photography) have the opportunity to win valuable prizes, including equipment from sponsor Canon and festival statues.



The works of the participants will be judged by an international jury composed of prominent professionals from the world of photography: Alessia Glaviano (Director of PhotoVogue), Kiana Hayeri (award-winning documentary photographer), Marina Paulenka (Exhibition Director at Fotografiska Berlin), and Irfan Hošić (art historian and curator).