From June 13 to August 30, 2026, the Festival Photo Martagny returns for its 9th edition with a programme bringing together a carefully curated selection of French and international contemporary artists. A dialogue between documentary, poetic and artistic perspectives, inviting the public to explore the world through multiple stories and visions.
Every summer, the Norman village of Martagny transforms into an open-air gallery.
Founded in 2018 by the association Visions d’Ailleurs, the Festival Photo Martagny has established itself, over nine years, as a major cultural event in France and an unmissable fixture of contemporary photography, attracting more than 14,000 visitors during its last edition.
From the very beginning, the Festival Photo Martagny has followed a simple yet ambitious formula: making contemporary photography accessible to all, free of charge, at the heart of a rural area. Among paths, meadows and built heritage, images enter into dialogue with the landscape, inviting an artistic walkthrough open to all audiences: local residents, art lovers, families, school groups and tourists.
The 2026 programme will bring together internationally renowned photographers, led by Jean Gaumy (member of Magnum Photos and the Académie des beaux-arts), Italian-Peruvian artist Francesca Piqueras, Czech photographer David Těšínský, Japanese photographer Tateyuki Adachi, French artists Vincent Binant, Olivier Mühlhoff and Frédéric Grimaud, a Norman photographer and loyal figure of the Festival Photo Martagny.
The festival will also host an exhibition in partnership with the ECPAD (the Defence Audiovisual Communication and Production Establishment) dedicated to the Battle of Verdun, drawing on its photographic and audiovisual archives, as well as a project led by Erwan Autret with young people from the Institut médico-éducatif Bernard Laurent de Montrôty. An original capsule exhibition by Xavier Lambours and a wildlife photography trail specially designed by Frank Deschandol, which will particularly delight children, will complete the exhibition route.
Finally, to mark the centenary of the death of Claude Monet (1926–2026), whose work will be celebrated in 2026 throughout the Département de l’Eure, the Festival Photo Martagny will present a contemporary participatory artwork inspired by the Impressionist legacy, conceived in residence by Daniel Nicolaevsky using photographs taken by residents and visitors to the Vexin Normand area.
Throughout the summer, artist talks, free guided tours and a daily information kiosk will help engage and build loyalty among audiences. New in 2026, the “Festival Evenings” will offer convivial moments combining DJ sets, photo calls and activities, aimed at broadening access to photographic culture and attracting audiences less familiar with museums and galleries. Through this programme, the Festival Photo Martagny once again affirms its commitment to making art accessible, demystifying it and sharing it with as many people as possible in a rural setting.
The Festival Photo Martagny was awarded an European Star in 2023, then recognised in 2025 as a Trésor du Vexin Normand (“Treasure of the Norman Vexin”), two distinctions that recognise both the artistic quality of the project and its impact on the local area.
Festival Photo Martagny 2026
From June 13 to August 30, 2026, in Martagny, at the heart of the Vexin Normand (Eure)
www.festivalphotomartagny.com
