Interview with Florence Bourgeois & Anna Planas

Read the interview with Florence Bourgeois, director of Paris Photo, and Anna Planas, artistic Director, about the 2026 edition of Paris Photo.

Cole Barash, Portrait of Florence Bourgeois, director and Anna Planas, artistic director of Paris Photo, at the Grand Palais, 2026.

The Bicentennial of photography provides an opportunity to look back at the medium’s history and to take stock of where we are today. What will be distinctive about this year’s edition of Paris Photo?

Florence Bourgeois: Paris Photo will be the first international event celebrating the Bicentenary of photography, under the patronage of French Ministry of Culture. We are thrilled to be part of this major celebration of photographic creation and heritage, which will start in September 2026 and continue for one year in France and abroad. Within the fair, we are hosting Centre Pompidou, who will present a selection of around one hundred artworks by thirty artists from their collection, including recent acquisitions made specifically for this Bicentennial exhibition.

Anna Planas: The Bicentenary is not only a moment to look back at the history of photography, but also to consider the transformations of the medium. And, for us, it’s an occasion to welcome collectors who specialize in other fields and invite a broad au dience to discover and celebrate photography.Across the Grand Palais, visitors will be able to experience two hundred years of photography by following a path focused on the Bicentenary that traces works from the nineteenth century to the present. Thomas Ruff will be our opening statement at the entrance to the Grand Palais with a retrospec tive installation conceived as an “open book” revealing his experimental approach to image making. Throughout the fair, several galleries will present examples of the first processes in photography, such as calotypes, daguerreotypes and photograms, while others will reflect on history through displays of contemporary works

What shapes an edition of Paris Photo?

Florence Bourgeois: For almost thirty years, Paris Photo has evolved alongside the market, through close relationships with participating galleries and international institutions, collectors and a very loyal audience. Each year, we work to renew the content of the fair with the galleries, bringing out new artists, practices and perspectives. We nurture our connections with the art world through our travels during the year. These encounters are essential to understanding what is happening in photography: how artistic practices are advancing, but also how the market is changing. They directly inform the way we approach each edition of the fair. Our Selection Committee is an important part of this process. We meet to select the participating galleries, but the dialogue extends well beyond the selection itself. The Committee challenges our thinking and helps us to consider how the fair can continue to evolve.

Anna Planas: We also invite curators to develop specific sectors. We are interested in what happens when someone brings a perspective that is different from our own. The Voices and Digital sectors are shaped through this exchange: curators introduce artists and ways of looking that extend our approach to photography across the fair.

Why do you think collectors should continue to focus on photography?

Florence: Photography has become an integral part of contemporary art collections worldwide. Collecting photography can mean very different things today: a vintage print, a complete series, an archive, or a work that sits at the intersection of photography and other mediums. Photography also shapes the way we see and understand the world, which is perhaps one of the strongest reasons to engage with the visions of artists.

Anna: Photography has undergone major changes since Paris Photo was established— visually, technically, aesthetically and conceptually. These transformations have created a fertile and exciting artistic landscape for the medium, which will only continue to evolve, expand its place within the market and, in a sense, gain greater recognition.

Cole Barash, Portrait of Anna Planas, artistic director of Paris Photo, and Florence Bourgeois, director, at the Grand Palais, 2026.

Programme – Paris Photo 2026

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