The International Center of Photography (ICP) presents Photobooks USA 2000–25, an exhibition that considers the many ways that photographers have used the photobook over the last 25 years to speak directly to the social, cultural, political, economic and environmental changes taking place throughout the United States. Bringing together over 50 photobooks from out-of-print titles to more recent landmark publications, the exhibition positions this selection as a cross section of the wide variety of authors, themes, forms and subjects that have been addressed by publishers and photographers during the 21st century. The myriad approaches from book to book also remind us how vitally democratic the form itself can be. ICP has long championed the photobook and its history by maintaining one of the most comprehensive libraries in the world, while also supporting contemporary production through events and programming, culminating in the creation of its annual Photobook Fest, first held in 2022.
Selected photobooks include: Gilles Peress, Michael Shulman and Charles Traub, Here Is New York: A Democracy of Photographs, 2002 (Scalo); Alec Soth, Sleeping By the Mississippi, 2004 (Steidl); An-My Lê, Small Wars, 2005 (Aperture); Collier Schorr, Jens F., 2005 (steidlMACK); Paul Graham, a shimmer of possibility, 2007 (steidlMACK); LaToya Ruby Frazier, The Notion of Family, 2014 (Aperture); Pacifico Silano, I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine, 2021 (Loose Joints); Nona Faustine, White Shoes, 2021 (MACK); Baldwin Lee, Baldwin Lee, 2022 (Hunter’s Point Press); Jess T. Dugan, Look at me like you love me, 2022 (MACK); Justine Kurland, SCUMB Manifesto, 2022 (MACK); Kimowan Metchewais, A Kind of Prayer, 2023 (Aperture); Carla Williams, Tender, 2023 (TBW); Carmen Winant, The Last Safe Abortion, 2024 (SPBH Editions); and Rahim Fortune, Hardtack, 2024 (Loose Joints).
Photobooks hold a singular place in photography—offering carefully sequenced, curated bodies of work that can be revisited over time. The expansion in the photobook industry over the last 25 years has led to a robust and inventive culture of publishing, as well as a rise in photobook awards, festivals and scholarship. This renaissance, particularly in the United States, is reflected not only in the sheer number of books published across this period, but also by the range of publishers from small to large presses, the experimentation in design and style and, perhaps most importantly, in the increasing inclusivity of the medium. Seeking neither to create boundaries based on citizenship, nor to canonize based on status as a bestseller or award-winner, the exhibition showcases books that take some aspect of the United States as their subject matter, addressing the most pressing social, cultural and political issues of this century so far. As the first exhibition to track this phenomenon and the impact of the photobook in the United States, Photobooks USA 2000–25 will not only chart the evolution of the industry itself, but will also track a tumultuous and constantly-shifting period of years, which the photobook as a medium has been uniquely suited to examining.
Curated by members of ICP’s curatorial staff, including David Campany, Creative Director, Sara Ickow, Associate Director of Exhibitions and malaika newsome, Curatorial Assistant, Photobooks USA 2000–25 ultimately demonstrates how the photobook has become a renewed force in the United States, allowing photographers to present and circulate their work in expansive ways well beyond what the gallery or museum wall will accommodate. Ickow stated, “Some of the most exciting developments in the world of photography over the last quarter-century have come in the form of books. We are thrilled to continue ICP’s tradition of celebrating photobook makers and publishers through this exhibition and hope the selection of books on view allows visitors to reflect on the vibrant tradition.”
Exhibition Support
Exhibition support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Exhibitions at ICP are supported, in part, by Caryl Englander, Almudena Legorreta, ICP Board of Trustees, the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund and with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
About The International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography (ICP) is the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. Cornell Capa founded ICP in 1974 to champion ‘concerned photography’—socially and politically minded images that can educate and change the world. Through exhibitions, education programs, community outreach and public programs, ICP offers an open forum for dialogue about the power of the image. Since its inception, ICP has presented more than 700 exhibitions, provided thousands of classes and hosted a wide variety of public programs. ICP launched its new integrated center at 84 Ludlow Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in January 2020. ICP pays respect to the original stewards of this land, the Lenape people and other Indigenous communities.
Visit www.icp.org to learn more about the museum and its programs.
Zach Ritter
The International Center of Photography Presents Photobooks USA 2000–25
On View June 11–September 28, 2026
Public Opening June 11 | 5–8PM
The International Center of Photography
84 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002
www.icp.org
