Created in 2020 to take over from Mois de la Photo, Photo Days has gradually established itself in the Parisian photographic calendar. Its seventh edition, which takes place from November 2 to 30, 2026, brings together museums, galleries, foundations and private places around a common program. But the event, founded and directed by Emmanuelle de l’Ecotais, former curator in charge of photography at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, intends above all to distinguish itself through its commissions to artists, designed for places which are not necessarily intended to host exhibitions.
The origin of Photo Days dates back to 2019, two years after the disappearance of Mois de la Photo, created in 1980. Emmanuelle de l’Ecotais explained that she wanted to fill the void left by this event, the last edition of which was held in 2017. The pandemic, however, modified her initial project, centered on the opening of places usually inaccessible to the public. In 2020, the cancellation of Paris Photo and health restrictions led it to also organize a tour in the galleries, to support their activity. This dual vocation, unifying and productive, has been maintained ever since.
Last year, six productions were entrusted to Juliette Agnel, Julie Balagué, Yan Carpenter, Sandra Guldemann-Duchatellier, Antoine Schneck and Paolo Ventura, in locations ranging from the Saint-Louis de la Pitié-Salpêtrière chapel to Studio Harcourt. The report published by the organization reported 110 participants, 88 exhibitions and 44 meetings, having welcomed several thousand visitors. Photo Days now boasts 39 original exhibitions produced since its creation.
This year’s program includes five carte blanche, to which is added an exhibition at the Czech Center in Paris, curated by Emmanuelle de l’Ecotais. At the Maison des arts in Créteil, Véronique Ellena presents Mains d’oeuvre, dedicated to apprentices and trainers from a vocational training center in Bourg-en-Bresse. At Sorbonne Artgallery, Catherine Balet continues her series Looking for the Masters, started in 2013, in which she reinterprets famous images from the history of photography by featuring Ricardo Martinez Paz, her model and muse. Nine prints are presented, including new images dedicated to women photographers who have long remained in the shadows.
At the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul chapel, rue de Sèvres, Thomas Klotz is exhibiting Révélation, a silver camera work on religious life and the Lazarist community. La Rotonde Balzac, in the gardens of the Salomon de Rothschild hotel, welcomes Alexandra Ctiere, winner of the 2026 Niépce Prize. Her project Salve, inspired by Eugénie Grandet, combines contemplation of the sky and emotional memory. This place constitutes one of the historic partnerships of Photo Days, which has been organizing commissions linked to the work of Balzac since 2020 (accessible by appointment).
The fifth proposal is that of agnès b., godmother of this edition, who presents to the Maison agnès b. photographs taken in Moscow in 1987, during a stay with the journalist Philippe Trétiack. The designer, gallery owner and collector, has also established her personal selection among the festival exhibitions. Finally, the Czech Center is presenting nearly 80 prints by Jindřich Štreit, to mark the photographer’s 80th birthday, including several previously unpublished images from his archives.
Beyond the festival’s own productions, Photo Days brings together programs from establishments such as the Jeu de Paume, the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, the MAC VAL, the BAL and the BnF. Galleries also take part in the tour, including Polka, Thaddaeus Ropac, Clémentine de la Féronnière, Maubert and Galerie XII.
