FotoFest Biennial 2026. Ten by Ten Exhibition. Houston, Texas.

The Biennial 2026, Global Visions – FotoFest at 40, marks four decades of photographic arts and education programming in Houston, Texas. It presents key works and themes from the 20 previous biennials between 1986 and 2024, with more than 450 artists from the United States and 58 countries represented.

Curated by FotoFest co-founder and former artistic director Wendy Watriss and FotoFest executive director Steven Evans, with co-curators Annick Dekiouk and Madi Murphy, the Biennial 2026 reconstitutes the exhibitions and citywide photo and mixed-media presentations that have defined FotoFest’s history.

The 2026 FotoFest Biennial marks the thirtieth anniversary of Ten by Ten. Originally called Discoveries of the Meeting Place, this biennial exhibition is dedicated to sharing the work of artists who participate in FotoFest’s Meeting Place Portfolio Review. Since its founding, The Meeting Place has provided thousands of photographers with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with leaders in the world of contemporary photography.

For each Ten by Ten exhibition, ten reviewers are selected from the most recent Biennial portfolio reviews. These reviewers then nominate a selection of photographers whose work they consider riveting. Of these nominees, ten photographers are invited to show one project from their oeuvre for the final presentation. The selection process, including ten reviewers and ten artists, is the inspiration for the name Ten by Ten. The resulting exhibitions have consistently offered a broad range of photographic themes, styles, perspectives, technologies, and presentations, inviting the audience to explore the varied possibilities of the photographic art form.

An integral component of each Ten by Ten exhibition is the essay that each reviewer writes about their selected artist. The writing contextualizes the work in the exhibition within the framework of photographic history and contemporary discourse. For emerging photographers participating in the exhibition, this essay is often the first scholarly text written about their work. For others, this text strengthens their presence within an international context.

Ten by Ten 2026 presents the work of artists who participated in FotoFest’s 2024 Meeting Place Portfolio Review and 2025 Meeting Place Virtual Portfolio Review. The exhibition features images and objects exploring themes of intimacy, family, historical erasure, environment, and pilgrimage, along with contemporary conversations around identity, race, grief, and belonging. While many of the projects speak to one another, there is no overarching theme. Far from weakening the exhibition, this underscores the myriad approaches photographers use to convey their perspectives. Together, the works presented in Ten by Ten 2026 provide insight into each artist’s lived experience and personal interests while also reflecting the broader concerns shaping photography today.

Celine Marchbank was nominated for the exhibition by Crista Dix, Director of the Griffin Museum of Photography, Massachusetts USA.

• https://fotofest.org/ten-by-ten-2026