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Photo Phnom Penh 2026: Cambodia's Photography Festival Takes Over 11 Venues for a Month

Photo Phnom Penh 2026: Cambodia's Photography Festival Takes Over 11 Venues for a Month

PHNOM PENH — Southeast Asia's flagship photography festival is back: the 17th edition of Photo Phnom Penh opened on October 22, 2026, turning the Cambodian capital into a month-long gallery with exhibitions, installations and public events across 11 venues, including the historic National Museum of Cambodia, under the theme "At Home in the World."

Illustration of an outdoor photography festival exhibition at dusk in a Southeast Asian city

Illustration: Visitors wandering through an outdoor photography exhibition at dusk, evoking the city-wide festival atmosphere of Photo Phnom Penh 2026. (AI-generated illustration)

What Happened

Photo Phnom Penh 2026 began on October 22 and runs through November 22, 2026, organized by the Photo Phnom Penh Association. This year's edition — the 17th — carries the theme "At Home in the World," exploring ideas of belonging, memory and place through the lens of contemporary photography.

The festival is anchored by eleven venues spread across the capital: the National Museum of Cambodia, the French Embassy, Bophana, Friends Futures Factory, Hiroshima House Cambodia, the Institut français du Cambodge, Lumière, Studio Images, Techo International Airport, tiSamjort and Vann Molyvann House. The programme goes far beyond framed prints on walls — it includes indoor exhibitions, public installations, screenings, workshops, portfolio reviews and lectures, according to the festival's 2026 programme, which lists the main opening days as October 22 to 25.

The collective curatorial team for this year's edition includes Marie Le Mounier, Moeng Meta, Isabelle Le Minh, Sovan Philong and Sam I-shan, reflecting the festival's long-standing Franco-Cambodian collaboration. Across the venues, the programme features family photographs, historical images, contemporary Cambodian photography and work addressing plants, homes, memory and urban life.

Background

The centerpiece of the National Museum's participation is Configurations, presented by Luxembourg-based artists Pasha Rafiy and Daniel Wagener and curated by Danièle Igniti and Paul Di Felice. Rafiy's photographs place people at a distance within familiar surroundings, while Wagener's work turns toward plants in the city — from small shoots to large trees — creating a quiet dialogue about how humans and nature share urban space.

The setting could hardly be more resonant. The National Museum of Cambodia, designed by French architect George Groslier, is itself a landmark of the country's cultural history. Groslier drew on Cambodian temple prototypes and traditional Khmer architectural forms; the foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1917, and the completed museum was inaugurated on April 13, 1920, with extensions added to the eastern facade in 1924. Its collections span sculpture, ceramics and ethnographic objects from the prehistoric, pre-Angkorian, Angkorian and post-Angkorian periods.

The museum's own history mirrors Cambodia's turbulent century: it closed between 1975 and 1979 and reopened on April 13, 1979, according to its official history. Placing contemporary photographic work about home and belonging inside an institution devoted to safeguarding Cambodian cultural material gives Configurations a particular weight — the festival exhibition sits in conversation with a thousand years of art.

Photo Phnom Penh has grown over its seventeen editions into one of Asia's most significant photography events, known for pairing international artists with Cambodian photographers and for taking exhibitions out of elite gallery spaces into public venues — including, this year, the country's international airport.

Why It Matters

Photography festivals like this one do cultural work that goes beyond art. In Cambodia, where much of the 20th century's visual record was lost or suppressed, photography has become a tool for rebuilding collective memory — and a festival that puts historical images beside contemporary work creates space for that conversation in public.

The festival also matters for the region's creative economy. Portfolio reviews, workshops and lectures give emerging Cambodian photographers direct access to international curators and professionals — the kind of access that is difficult to get in a country with a small gallery market. The Franco-Cambodian partnership behind the event has, over nearly two decades, helped build a generation of local photographic talent.

And the timing is part of a wider cultural moment. October 2026 is a busy month for festivals across the region and beyond: Bratislava is hosting the 27th One World International Documentary Film Festival from October 20 to 25, and Almaty recently honored winners of the UNESCO-patronized youth arts festival "The Planet of Art 2026." In that context, Photo Phnom Penh's month-long, city-wide format stands out for its ambition and accessibility.


 

Illustration of the National Museum of Cambodia's Khmer-style building with visitors

Illustration: The National Museum of Cambodia's traditional Khmer-style building with visitors on its steps, one of eleven venues hosting Photo Phnom Penh 2026. (AI-generated illustration)

What Happens Next

The festival's main exhibitions run through November 22, 2026, with the core opening programme of talks and events concentrated in the October 22–25 window. Visitors to the National Museum can see Configurations for the full month-long run, alongside the museum's permanent collections of Khmer art.

For photographers, the portfolio reviews and workshops are the practical heart of the festival — a chance to have work assessed by the international curatorial team and to build professional connections. Public installations at venues such as Techo International Airport mean even travelers passing through the capital will encounter the festival.

Illustration of a Cambodian photographer with camera beside displayed photographs

Illustration: A photographer at work beside large displayed prints, symbolizing the workshops and portfolio reviews supporting Cambodian photographers during the festival. (AI-generated illustration)

Looking further ahead, the festival's 17th edition sets the stage for its 18th year — and for Cambodia's broader cultural calendar. With its blend of heritage venues, international artists and public programming, Photo Phnom Penh has become proof that a photography festival can be both a serious artistic platform and a genuinely public celebration. The theme "At Home in the World" will likely be echoing in the capital well into December.

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FAQ

What is Photo Phnom Penh?

Photo Phnom Penh is Cambodia's international photography festival, organized by the Photo Phnom Penh Association. The 2026 edition is its 17th, running from October 22 to November 22 under the theme "At Home in the World."

Where is the festival held?

The 2026 edition spans eleven venues across Phnom Penh, including the National Museum of Cambodia, the French Embassy, Bophana, Friends Futures Factory, Hiroshima House Cambodia, the Institut français du Cambodge, Lumière, Studio Images, Techo International Airport, tiSamjort and Vann Molyvann House.

What is "Configurations" at the National Museum of Cambodia?

Configurations is the festival exhibition hosted by the National Museum of Cambodia, featuring work by Luxembourg-based artists Pasha Rafiy and Daniel Wagener, curated by Danièle Igniti and Paul Di Felice. It explores people in familiar surroundings and plants in the city.

How old is the National Museum of Cambodia?

The museum building was designed by George Groslier, with the foundation stone laid in 1917 and the completed museum inaugurated on April 13, 1920. It closed between 1975 and 1979 and reopened in April 1979.

What events are part of the festival besides exhibitions?

Beyond indoor exhibitions, the programme includes public installations, film screenings, workshops, portfolio reviews and lectures across the capital, with the main opening events scheduled for October 22–25, 2026.

Sources

  • ad-hoc-news.de — "National Museum of Cambodia hosts Photo Phnom Penh from 22 October" (October 21, 2026)
  • Photo Phnom Penh Association — 2026 festival programme (via ad-hoc-news.de)
  • Slovak Film Institute (sfu.sk) — "New Slovak documentary films at the One World Festival" (October 20, 2026)
  • UNESCO — "Winners of the international youth festival under the patronage of UNESCO 'THE PLANET OF ART 2026' honoured in Almaty" (October 14, 2026)

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