With the finissage on 20 September, we came together to bid farewell to the 9th Triennial. The evening once again brought to life the message at the heart of its guiding theme, Alliance, Infinity, Love – in the Face of the Other: the importance of community, exchange and solidarity.

At the heart of the 9th Triennial was the question of how photography can create opportunities for encounters, make different perspectives visible and open up new ways of being together. The finissage continued this exploration, highlighting the importance of encounter, exchange and collective reflection. Whether through looking at and discussing photographs or through personal conversations, new perspectives emerge, fostering a deeper understanding of one another and building connections across different points of view.

As John Fleetwood expressed it in his keynote, Additions and Omissions:

“That when we gather we are alive. That it positions us. That we can ask questions. That the essential truth of when we look at a photograph is, that there is a complex condition of addition and omission. That when we look, we look out of our own vulnerability. That we will not disavow our own vulnerabilities and the vulnerabilities of others.”

We would like to thank John Fleetwood for his retrospective reflections and for contextualising the central themes and experiences of the 9th Triennial, as well as Artistic Director Mark Sealy and our guests Akinbode Akinbiyi, Anna Feistel, Nadine Isabelle Henrich, Carsten Rabe and Joanna Warsza. Our thanks also go to all the participating artists, curators, partner institutions, supporters and contributors whose commitment helped enrich the 9th Triennial.

Special thanks go to our audience and all our visitors, whose engagement with the exhibitions and events helped make the 9th Triennial a vibrant, collective project spanning the entire city.

The encounters, conversations and ideas sparked by this edition will continue to resonate long after its conclusion!

A video documentation of the finissage will be published on this website shortly.