RAY
Triennial of
Photography

About RAY

The international RAY Triennial of Photography is a collaboration of several art institutions in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region and is managed by Fotografieprojekte gGmbH. The sixth edition of the triennial will take place in 2027 under the overarching theme Truths, once again bringing together a broad spectrum of contemporary and historical positions, visual languages, and thematic approaches, thus highlighting the creative potential of photographic art. RAY explores the social, cultural, and political impact of photography and related media through exhibitions, lectures, events, and educational programs that connect the national and international photography scene.

Opening: June 3, 2027
Festival days: June 4–6, 2027
Duration (including partner exhibitions and events): April to September 2027

RAY Truths

What is true? This question has been posed of photography since its very beginnings – and is more relevant today than ever before. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is challenging ethical, moral and aesthetic perspectives in previously unexplored ways. Our understanding of photography as a truthful medium is evolving; manipulations are becoming increasingly imperceptible, and there is a growing demand for new forms of visual literacy. At the same time, artists are using precisely these new possibilities as creative tools and exploring aspects of the medium in diverse, critical and sometimes even humorous ways. Yet they also remind us that new techniques build upon the history and practice of photography itself. Artistic photography thus remains a powerful medium capable of both revealing truths and constructing fictions: a source of emotional resonance and intellectual engagement with the world.