From 1 to 4 October, the fifth edition of PhMuseum Days brought international contemporary photography to Bastardini. At its centre was the theme Archipelago: an invitation to reflect on the fragmentation of the present and on how different perspectives can meet.
How many stories can an image tell? And what happens when the gazes that meet come from distant experiences, places and sensibilities?
This is the question that shaped PhMuseum Days 2026, under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Oliverio. An edition that chose the archipelago as a metaphor for a world made of distinct identities that can still recognise one another and talk.
Seven solo exhibitions filled the rooms of Bastardini, giving space to artistic research that questions the way we observe and interpret reality. A chance to discover how photography can still surprise us, especially when it challenges what we think we know.
Archipelago: many gazes, no single vision
Inspired by the thinking of the philosopher Massimo Cacciari, Archipelago reflects on a fragmented world in which different identities can find new possibilities for dialogue.
The projects on show explored this idea through different approaches and languages, examining the relationship between images, memory and the present day.
Max Pinckers, with 2020-MMXX, questioned the idea of the decisive moment in photography, while Jonah Samson, in Every Exit Is An Entrance Somewhere Else, explored the narrative potential of archive images. Federico Clavarino, with Italia O Italia, investigated the Italian landscape and the traces of its history.
Allegra Baggio Corradi explored the relationship between language and image in Homographs. A Pictionary, while Robin Alysha Clemens, with How To Carry A Home, addressed displacement through the memory of a Ukrainian community. Completing the line-up were Daniel Martínez with (H) and Francisco Cantón with Axolotl.
Seven very different bodies of work, hosted in a place that has seen more than its share of stories.
Photography beyond the exhibitions
PhMuseum Days also made room for meeting the artists in person. The Behind the Scenes panels and guided tours let visitors explore the projects in depth, while a group screening presented 20 works selected through the international open call.
The festival also reached other venues around the city, including the Cortile dell’Archiginnasio and the CHEAP poster boards, extending the photographic archipelago across the map of Bologna.
For Bastardini, four days that brought a contemporary cultural life back to its halls, welcoming artists and audiences from all over the world.
PhMuseum Days 2026 – Archipelago
1–4 October 2026
