Events
The 9th Bogotá International Photography Biennial Presents the work of Photographer Joana Toro
joana toro
Aug 29, 2025
FOTOMUSEO – National Museum of Photography of Colombia Presents the 9th Bogotá International Photography Biennial: Significados Ocultos (Hidden Meanings)
The FOTOMUSEO – Museo Nacional de la Fotografía (National Museum of Photography) proudly presents the 9th edition of the Bogotá International Photography Biennial. This landmark event has celebrated photography as an art form and cultural force in Colombia for twenty years. This year’s edition, titled Significados Ocultos (Hidden Meanings), runs from August 30 to September 5, 2025, with exhibitions continuing until November 11, 2025, across museums, cultural centers, and public spaces in Bogotá and throughout the country. The Biennial offers a rich program including:
- Free exhibitions in museums, cultural centers, and public spaces.
- Workshops led by international guest artists at universities across Bogotá.
- Theoretical series engaging nearly 1,000 students, professors, and professionals in photography, design, philosophy, and communication.
- A film series showcasing selected works from the Guest of Honor Countries: Colombia and Palestine.
Rosalina by Joana Toro — Part of Significados Ocultos
Among this year’s featured projects is Rosalina, a deeply intimate series by award-winning Colombian photographer Joana Toro, exploring resistance, memory, and ancestral knowledge in San Basilio de Palenque — the first free town in the Americas and a cornerstone of the African diaspora’s history in Colombia. At the heart of the series is Rosalina Cañates Pardo, a woman in her nineties whose knowledge of medicinal plants and prayers preserves a cultural legacy passed down through generations. Toro’s collaboration with Rosalina, Florentino Ariza, and Alejandro Padilla blends documentary rigor with personal reflection, evoking the power of oral and visual traditions as vehicles of memory and cultural resistance.
“Rosalina is not only the story of Palenque but also a mirror of my own roots,” said Joana Toro. “Her wisdom revealed the hidden meanings embedded in memory and tradition — lessons that continue to shape how we understand healing and culture today.”Toro, whose work has been exhibited internationally and recognized by the Pulitzer Center, National Geographic, and Diversify Photo, brings to the Biennial her signature approach of combining research and aesthetics to amplify invisible voices and challenge stereotypes.
About Joana Toro
Joana Toro is a Colombian photographer based in New York and Bogotá. Her projects — including Hello, I Am Kitty (2019) and Translatina (2023) — have been presented globally and are part of major collections such as the Library of Congress and the Museum of the City of New York.
About the Bogotá International Photography Biennial
Launched twenty years ago by the FOTOMUSEO – National Museum of Photography of Colombia, the Biennial is the country’s most significant photography event, featuring free public exhibitions, academic programs, and artistic exchanges. Each edition has welcomed world-renowned photographers while opening access to diverse communities throughout Colombia.
About FOTOMUSEO
Founded as a non-profit foundation, the National Museum of Photography of Colombia is dedicated to democratizing access to photography by decentralizing and de-elitizing culture through traveling street exhibitions, education, and international collaborations.
Joana Toro – FOTOMUSEO – Museo Nacional de la Fotografía de Colombia
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