Leipzig Photobook Festival 2026

Power / Fragility at Halle 14, Spinnerei

Date: 7–8 March 2026, 10:00–19:00
Place: Halle 14, Spinnerei Leipzig

Leipzig Photobook Festival 2026 courtyard at Spinnerei with brick-red industrial buildings, cobblestone ground, and festival visitors gathered in afternoon sunlight

We drove to Leipzig from Prague with Katka from our photography group, excited for a day immersed in photobooks, conversation, and new ideas. Arriving at Spinnerei already felt like stepping into a different rhythm: the huge industrial compound, with its brick-red facades, cobblestone lanes, arts shops, cafés, and takeaway stands, had a character all of its own. Before we even entered the festival, the setting made it clear that this would be more than a simple fair visit.

Organised by dienacht e.V. in cooperation with Halle 14, the second edition of the Leipzig Photobook Festival brought together around 40 publishers and photographers. This year’s theme, Power / Fragility, shaped the whole programme, reflecting on power as a political, economic, and social force, while approaching fragility as a point of transformation. That idea felt present not only in the exhibitions and books themselves, but in the atmosphere of the festival too.

We thoroughly scouted the photobook fair, moving from table to table, drawn in by the maddening number of beautiful books, zines, and printed experiments. It was inspiring and, at times, almost overwhelming — so much care, so many voices, so much art gathered in one place. Between all that visual intensity, we kept escaping outside for coffee breaks in the sun, sitting near the trees and letting ourselves pause for a moment before diving back in.

Those quiet breaks became part of the experience just as much as the books. We talked, reflected, and tried to take in everything we had seen. The afternoon felt full of joy, introspection, and a certain creative overload that only comes from being surrounded by work that truly moves you.

Alongside the photobook market, the programme included workshops, film screenings, panel discussions, artistic interventions, and conversations. Two photography exhibitions — by Lina Scheynius and Arko Datto — were on view, alongside the photobook exhibitions Fragile Volumes and the Paris Photo – Aperture Photobook Award. We left grateful not only for the art itself, but also for the chance to connect with young artists from across Europe and to share the day together.

Cobblestone courtyard at Spinnerei Leipzig