The idea of the image allows us to move beyond a strict medium-specific definition of photography. It introduces an expanded field, where photography enters into dialogue with other disciplines such as cinema, sculpture or video. This kind of cross-contamination is important, because it reflects the way images are produced and understood today. Thinking in terms of the image also changes the position of photography within the festival. It is no longer confined to its traditional boundaries, but becomes part of a wider visual language that can take different forms and directions. In that sense, the shift is also about ambition, giving photography the space to expand, to evolve, and to engage with other practices on equal terms.
What we wanted to retain was the spirit of a festival: something that goes beyond a series of exhibitions and becomes a shared cultural moment. That sense of encounter, of bringing people together around photography, was central to Palma Photo and remains essential here. At the same time, the context has changed. One of the key decisions was to extend the programme across the whole island, not just Palma. In recent years, Mallorca has developed a much more active cultural scene and it now operates almost like a distributed city. Working across different locations introduces complexity, and it also allows the festival to engage with a wider range of spaces and audiences, creating a structure that is more open and connected to the territory. The other shift is conceptual. The festival is no longer framed strictly around photography, but around the broader idea of the image. This reframing expands its scope and gives the project a different dimension.
There has definitely been a significant development in recent years. The reopening of the Fundació Toni Catany, the programme at Casal Solleric, and the work carried out at La Misericòrdia through the Arxiu del So i de la Imatge have all contributed to strengthening the photographic landscape on the island. Within this context, PHOF reconnects with the photography awards, which are an important part of that history. They offer mid-career artists the possibility to exhibit their work and produce a catalogue, giving visibility to their practice. At the same time, ASIM preserves an archive of all the previous winners, creating a sense of continuity. In that sense, the festival is not isolated: it contributes to an existing structure, reinforcing it while also adding a new layer of visibility and exchange. It’s part of an ongoing process that helps consolidate photography within the island’s cultural heritage.
The photobook is a section we have preserved from Palma Photo, so there is a clear continuity. It takes the form of a three-day gathering hosted at Es Baluard, organised through a series of sessions centred on photography books. The idea is to create a space for coming together, where work can be shared, ideas exchanged, and conversations developed around the photobook. It is not only about presenting finished projects, but about opening a space for reflection and dialogue. That sense of community is essential to the programme. At the same time, the photobook is conceived as a work of art in itself. It is a format where sequencing, editing and narrative become central, and where the relationship with the viewer is more direct and intimate. Working as a collective reinforces this approach, since the curatorial process itself is based on exchange and shared perspectives.
There is a clear educational dimension. One of the aims is to give the public the tools to read and understand images more critically. We are surrounded by images, but that does not necessarily mean we engage with them in a meaningful way. A festival creates a different kind of space, one that moves away from the speed and consumption of platforms like Instagram; it instead encourages attention, reflection and interpretation, it allows the viewer to slow down and reconsider the image as a form of expression. In this way, PHOF also repositions photography within contemporary art, bringing it back into a context where it can be experienced not only as something to consume, but as something to collect, to study, and to engage with over time.
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