The photography world is buzzing with a diverse array of exhibitions opening across multiple continents, showcasing everything from food photography to humanist classics. These shows, scheduled for late 2025 and early 2026, demonstrate the medium's remarkable versatility and global reach. From Brooklyn's Empire Stores to the historic streets of Grenoble and the museums of Mexico City, photographers are exploring themes that range from cultural identity to magical realism. This international lineup reflects photography's continued evolution as both an art form and a documentary tool.

The World Food Photography Awards are launching their inaugural exhibition at Empire Stores in Brooklyn, New York, running from January 11 to February 8, 2026. This debut show celebrates the artistry of culinary photography, highlighting how photographers transform everyday meals into compelling visual narratives. The exhibition arrives at a time when food culture dominates social media and visual storytelling, elevating the genre to fine art status. Visitors can expect to see award-winning images that capture the cultural significance of food across different societies and traditions.

Across the Atlantic, European institutions are presenting equally compelling shows. In Grenoble, France, the Lycée Champollion is hosting an exhibition exploring trees in art and literature through the lens of Michael Kenna's photography from December 16, 2025, to January 22, 2026. Meanwhile, Sweden's Galleri Format in Malmö presents Julian Slagman's "Une tentative ratée de photographier la réalité" (A Failed Attempt to Photograph Reality) through January 5, 2026. In Paris, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie showcases Sarah van Rij's evolution from street photography to collage, demonstrating an artist's journey through different modes of expression.

Major international museums are contributing significant exhibitions to this global photography calendar. The National Museum of World Cultures in Mexico City presents Philippe Paquet's "Mongolia: From the Gobi Desert to the Altai Mountains" through January 31, 2026, offering a sweeping documentary vision of Mongolian landscapes and culture. Germany's Museum Folkwang is presenting the written archive of Germaine Krull for the first time on a large scale, revealing the photographer's extensive editorial output alongside her vintage prints. This scholarly approach provides unprecedented insight into an artist's complete creative process.

Several exhibitions focus on masters of the medium and their distinctive visions. CAMERA WORK is featuring Thomas Hoepker's "Stories of Humanity" at the start of 2026, showcasing the photographer's engaged documentation of the human condition. The International Center of Photography is presenting multiple significant shows, including Naima Green's exploration of pregnancy through staged self-portraits and Sergio Larrain's wandering images of street children. Additionally, the Keith de Lellis Gallery in New York is bringing together iconic and lesser-known works by humanist photography legends Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Willy Ronis, Édouard Boubat, and Sabine Weiss, celebrating the poetic spontaneity that defined an era.

This remarkable convergence of exhibitions illustrates photography's unique capacity to capture everything from intimate personal experiences to sweeping cultural landscapes. Whether documenting Christmas traditions across America in Lee Friedlander's collaborative show, exploring Berlin's legendary Berghain club through Mischa Fanghaenel's lens, or presenting Riccardo Fregoso's seven-year investigation into photographic magical realism in his book "Winter Light," these shows demonstrate the medium's endless flexibility. Together, they affirm that photography continues to evolve as a vital form of artistic expression, capable of addressing contemporary issues while honoring its rich historical legacy.