From nearly 700 submissions across more than 80 countries, FOTO Bali Festival 2026, presented by Nuanu Creative City, announces the 36 selected artists for its second edition.

Taking place from 3 June to 12 July 2026 at Nuanu Creative City, Bali, the festival will feature works by 36 artists from 24 countries, including Akshay Mahajan (India), Alessandro Bo (Mexico), Anita Khemka & Imran Kokiloo (India), Aprillio Abdullah Akbar (Indonesia), Arhant Shrestha (Nepal), Aziziah Diah Aprilya (Indonesia), Bertha Wang (China), Ceicillia Dita (Indonesia), Charmaine de Heij (Netherlands / Suriname), Chiara Goia (Italy), Chloe Bartram (Australia), Daniela Balestrin (Brazil), Gab Mejia (Philippines), Gianluca Lanciai (Italy), Ha Dao (Vietnam), Igor Schiller (Serbia), Jiatong Lu (China), Joel Jimenez (Costa Rica), Joyantee Raina (Bangladesh), Kate Perfilieva (Russia), Keyza Widiatmika (Indonesia), Kibe Nduni (Kenya), Lars Dyrendom & Inuk Jørgensen (Denmark / Greenland), Made Virgie Avianthy (Indonesia), Martín Bollati (Argentina), Muhammad Dwiki Viansa (Indonesia), Nadège Mazars (France), Nicolás Bernal (Colombia), Primagung D. Riliananda (Indonesia), Rodrigo Illescas (Argentina), Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo (Colombia), Sean Cham (Singapore), Valeria Arendar (Argentina / Mexico), Vinit Gupta (India), Wimadetra (Indonesia), and Yuki Furusawa (Japan).

Under the theme Afterimage, the festival brings together works that explore memory, continuity, and the ways images persist beyond the moment they capture. Moving between personal narratives and broader reflections on history, identity, and collective experience, the selected projects consider how photographs continue to shape meaning over time.

“We want FOTO Bali Festival to open up a wider conversation between photographic practices from different contexts, without geographical or generational boundaries.” said Kelsang Dolma, Festival Director of FOTO Bali Festival. “The open call is central to that, allowing both emerging and established artists to enter the festival through the strength of their work and its connection to the festival’s theme. Having two curators is also important, as it brings multiple perspectives into the selection process and allows for a more layered engagement with the festival’s central idea.”

The festival is supported by Wonderful Indonesia, underscoring its growing significance within Indonesia’s wider cultural and creative landscape. Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism said, “Wonderful Indonesia supports initiatives that strengthen Indonesia’s creative ecosystem and cultural dialogue. FOTO Bali Festival 2026 represents how art, photography, and community can come together to create meaningful cultural conversations rooted in Bali.”

The final selection represents just over 5% of total submissions, reflecting a highly competitive process. Spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, the 36 selected artists reflect a wide range of approaches, from documentary and conceptual practices to interdisciplinary forms of image-making.

“The qualities and approaches reflected in these works align with what we envisioned when the theme was first introduced,” said Kurniadi Widodo, Curator of FOTO Bali Festival. “We aim to present practices that demonstrate both strong commitment and a diversity of visual languages within contemporary photography.”

Adding a curatorial perspective, Putu Sridiniari, Curator of FOTO Bali Festival shared, “In the context of Afterimage, photography does not conclude a moment—it continues to circulate and shape how we remember the world. The selected works reflect diverse approaches, yet share a common attentiveness to how images carry traces and influence our understanding of the present.”

Alongside international names, the participation of eight Indonesian artists further strengthens this dialogue by bringing local perspectives into a global conversation.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nuanu Creative City

At Nuanu Creative City, family-friendly spaces continue to be developed as part of a more open and welcoming experience for all. One example is SAMANA, Bali's largest family festival, which returns on April 3–4, 2026. Held at ProEd Global School, this event provides a weekend for hundreds of families to enjoy time together in a fun and educational atmosphere.

From 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the ProEd Global School area features a variety of activities, from bouncy castles and foam parties, to drawing corners and workshops, to reptile and animal encounters. This series of activities provides a balanced play and learning experience for children in a fun and interactive setting.

"Nuanu's development has always been driven by how spaces can be used by various groups, including families. SAMANA reflects how this experience can exist naturally within a single ecosystem," said Ida Ayu Astari Prada, Brand and Communications Director of Nuanu Creative City.

Through this experience, parents can not only accompany but also directly participate in activities with their children, while the food market area and rest area provide space for parents to continue enjoying their time. This approach reflects Nuanu Creative City's concept of designing spaces that combine art, education, family, exploration, and entertainment in one integrated experience for today's families.

"We believe that family spaces should be designed to allow for natural interactions, where children can explore, and parents remain part of the experience," Prada concluded.

Through SAMANA, Nuanu Creative City once again demonstrates how a space can function not only as a place for activities, but as a meeting point that strengthens interaction and togetherness within the family.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nuanu Creative City

Nuanu Creative City has formally designated Pura Beji Dalem Segara as a sacred temple within its area following an approximately eight-month restoration and improvement process supported fully through the Nuanu Social Fund and carried out in coordination with the temple’s custodial family, traditional leaders, and members of the surrounding community. The process was completed with a series of Ngenteg Linggih consecration ceremonies marking the temple’s readiness to continue serving its spiritual and religious role.

Pura Beji Dalem Segara is one of 12 temples located within the wider Nuanu area, with Pura Luhur Dalem Bomo serving as the main temple, or kahyangan. Their presence reflects the longstanding spiritual significance of the area.

Pura Beji Dalem Segara traces its origins to a natural spring, or beji, which became the basis of the sacred site. According to local accounts, the spring was first discovered by the ancestors of the Sudiana family of Banjar Beraban, who continue to serve as the temple’s pengempon, or custodians. The formal designation of the temple within the Nuanu area was carried out through mutual agreement with the custodial family, while ownership remains with the Sudiana family.

Lev Kroll, CEO of Nuanu Creative City said “This is what Nuanu is about as a development. Finding the win-win – finding a way to help reconstruct the temple in a way that it becomes a learning opportunity for our visitors to learn more about the culture and be amazed with it. For us, finding a way to be respectful is not about just preserving it, but trying to add value.”

For Nuanu, the restoration of Pura Beji Dalem Segara was intended to support the continued life of the temple as an active sacred site. It remains first and foremost a place of worship connected to its custodians and community. Its presence within the wider Nuanu area also offers visitors a way to better understand that Bali’s cultural and spiritual life is part of the living reality of the land, not separate from it.

“In the case of Pura Beji Dalem Segara, the work was very practical. It involved restoring and improving the temple together with the custodial family and community so it can continue to function properly as a sacred site. What matters is that the temple remains active, maintained, and connected to the people who have long cared for it.” - said Ida Ayu Astari Prada, Brand & Communications Director of Nuanu Creative City.

The formalisation of Pura Beji Dalem Segara reflects a wider approach at Nuanu to work with the cultural and spiritual realities already present in the area. As Nuanu continues to develop, these temples remain active places of worship and community significance.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nuanu Creative City