The Long View

Biennial Opening Events: September 30–October 3, 2026

  • 01 FFC Paglen TP 235H HR

    Trevor Paglen, It Began as a Military Experiment (detail), 2017. Set of ten pigment prints, 13⅝ × 10½ inches. © Trevor Paglen. Courtesy of The Artist and Fellowship and Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco and Pace Gallery, New York

  • 02 FFC Paglen TP 040 HR

    Trevor Paglen, KEYHOLE 12-3 (IMPROVED CRYSTAL) Optical Reconnaissance Satellite Near Scorpio (USA 129), 2007. C-print, 60 × 48 inches. © Trevor Paglen. Courtesy of The Artist and Fellowship and Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco and Pace Gallery, New York

  • 03 Weston Sepuya 1 Collage 2020 038 11x14

    Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Collage 2020-038, 2020. Collaged photographs on Bristol board, 11 × 14 inches. Courtesy of the artist

  • 04 Carnegie Natural Fictions 8 Smith Untitled (Burial Sites) Dimensions Variable Photograph 2024

    Lydia Smith, Untitled (Burial Sites), 2024. Digital photograph, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist

  • 05 CAM Rexroth 5 Self portrait

    Nancy Rexroth, Self-Portrait, Ocean City, Maryland,1970. Gelatin silver print, 4 × 4 inches. Cincinnati Art Museum, The Nancy Rexroth Collection: Museum purchase with funds provided by the Carl Jacobs Foundation, 2019.25. © The 1988 Rexroth Family Trust

  • 06 CAC Interest 7 Whitney Huron Boy

    Lynn Whitney, Huron Boy, Huron, 2014. Gelatin silver print, 20 × 24 inches. Courtesy of the artist

  • 07 CAC WCadet 2 2023 An Echo of Gratitude Unframed

    Widline Cadet, An Echo of Gratitude, 2023. Inkjet print, 20 × 16 inches. © Widline Cadet. Courtesy of the artist and Nazarian / Curcio

    • An ambitious collaboration between FotoFocus and the region’s museums, galleries, universities, and alternative spaces, the Biennial is a month-long celebration of photography that unites artists, curators, and participants from around the world. Now in its eighth iteration, the 2026 Biennial encompasses 74 exhibitions at 65 Biennial Venues across Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Northern Kentucky—the largest of its kind in America. 

    Biennial venues present a wide range of original exhibitions and reflective programs, all centered around the theme, The Long View, which considers aspects of time and perspective in photography and film, and how these mediums shape our understanding of the world. The 2026 Biennial presents six Featured Exhibitions that embody the theme of The Long View. This includes artists who examine the crossroads of technology and philosophy (Trevor Paglen at FotoFocus Center); consider concepts of time and challenge linear narratives (group exhibitions at Contemporary Arts Center and The Carnegie); reimagine portraiture through a Black, queer lens (Paul Mpagi Sepuya at Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery); explore Haitian identity and the Black diaspora (Widline Cadet at Contemporary Arts Center); and a major retrospective exploring the life, work, and archive of Nancy Rexroth (Cincinnati Art Museum).

    The Biennial Opening Program (Wednesday, September 30–Saturday, October 3, 2026) constitutes the core of the Biennial, establishing the theme and dialogues that unite the broader programming. Featuring a keynote lecture, artist talks, curator tours, and receptions, the Opening Program inspires conversations about the world through photography and lens-based art. Biennial Events continue throughout the month of October. 

    While many venues are free and open to the public, the official Biennial Pass offers access to Biennial Events during the month of October; invitations to members-only events; and entry into the Opening Program. Free registration for the Pass begins in August.

    Press Releases (PDF)

    FotoFocus Announces 2026 Biennial Exhibitions and Venues
    FotoFocus Announces Call for Entry for 2026 Biennial: The Long View
    FotoFocus Announces Theme for 2026 FotoFocus Biennial: The Long View

    #FotoFocus    #TheLongView    #FotoFocus2026