The ninth edition of InCadaqués, Catalonia's premier autumn photography event, continues to establish itself as a significant fixture in the international art scene. While this year's lineup features fewer celebrity photographers, the festival presents an impressive array of 40 artists from 20 countries across 25 exhibitions, making it a destination worth visiting for photography enthusiasts and art lovers alike.
The festival's programming has expanded to encompass a broader spectrum of photographic styles, including aesthetic, experimental, documentary, photojournalism, and even unclassifiable works. Despite this diversity, a common thread remains throughout the exhibitions: the connection between human beings and the unique landscape of rocks and light that characterizes this Catalan region.
This environmental connection is beautifully demonstrated through the work of Cloé Harent, whose materiality-focused photography was created during her residency at Cap de Creus. Her work serves as a genuine dedication to raw materials and energies, brought to life through her confident yet meditative perspective. Fellow artist Julien Mignot has turned his attention toward the horizon during his festival residency, continuing his "Present Time" project that began in Deauville and later expanded to Mexico. Each of his images captures an entire day through long exposures from dawn to sunset, representing both technical prowess and an impression of time that is simultaneously frozen and elusive.
The staged photography of Nyo Jinyong Lian, titled "Trust Me," operates on both confidence and doubt, according to the artist herself. Her work expresses life's aberrations and contradictions with masterfully controlled lucidity. The pleasant and aesthetic surface of her images reveals cultural and intimate subtexts, creating a gentle yet troubling tension that captivates viewers.
Australian photographer Lisa Sorgini presents her compelling series "In-Passing," which photographs intimacy, motherhood, and life while renewing their narrative. Sorgini subtly demonstrates one of photography's primary functions: penetrating intimate spaces, identity, and grief, exploring and transmitting through a perfectly personal visual language without saying a word.
Japanese photographer and videographer Lieh Sugai, who lives in New York but also deals with identity and memory, works in a completely different register. "By integrating analog film and the experience of chemigrams, I carefully shape light, chemicals, and photographic paper to create organic and textured images that reflect my encounters with fragmented and changing memories," Sugai explains. Through an instinctive process and random interactions, her series "Kaikou" (Encounter) reflects her attempt at emotional reconciliation between her native country and the United States where she now lives.
The festival also features the sensitive documentary work of Italian photographer Valentina Sinis, who captures the lives of Afghan women through a lens bathed in benevolent light. Her work adds an important social dimension to the festival's diverse programming.
InCadaqués wouldn't be complete without its surrealist touch, provided this year by the photographic work of Man Ray, logically installed in the gardens of Casa Dalí in Port Lligat. Although he was a versatile artist, the American also experimented with still images and was one of the eccentric Catalan artist's collaborators. They shared numerous common points including mystery, aesthetics, and humor, which gave their creations the bold oneirism of a prolific era.
The festival continues to broaden its scope while maintaining its commitment to fostering direct connections between artists and visitors. Most participating artists are present during the first week, encouraging exchanges and artwork sales. The artistic program is supported by the InPhoto Festival application, which recognizes and provides information about selected images.
The InCadaqués Photo Festival runs from October 9-26, 2025, in various locations throughout Cadaqués, Spain, in Catalonia. The event includes photography workshops, film screenings, book signings, and other special events. More information is available at https://fr.incadaques.com/en/homepage-2025.
