Summary

The exhibition Swiss Press Photo 26 presents award-winning photographs from the competition of the same name from July 16 to October 9, 2026 at the Swiss National Library in Bern. The exhibition honors images in six categories (Current Events, Everyday Life, Swiss Stories, Portrait, Sport, Foreign) that shaped the year 2025 in Switzerland and worldwide. Mario Heller was awarded Photographer of the Year 2025 and presents a photo series from Narva in Estonia, which is threatened by Russian expansionist efforts.

People

Topics

  • Press photography and photographic art
  • Swiss cultural institutions
  • 2025 year in review
  • International photo documentation

Clarus Lead

The exhibition documents an emotionally and event-filled year of 2025 and serves as a visual chronicle of social upheaval – from geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe to internal Swiss debates. The National Library thus positions itself as a central memory institution that places the present within cultural continuity and ensures access to Switzerland's collective memory.

Detailed Summary

The exhibition is organized in partnership with the Reinhardt von Graffenried Foundation and presents award-winning works from the annual Swiss Press Award competition. In addition to Heller's documentation of Narva's threat from Russian expansionist efforts, other works showcase defining themes: Boris Müller documents Zurich's threatened nightlife, Gabriel Monnet captures the Federal Gymnastics Festival in Lausanne, and Flavia Leuenberger Ceppi addresses domestic violence. Laurent Gilliéron returns months after the rockslide in Blatten and documents its aftermath; in the foreign affairs section, Nora Teylouni shows life in Syria after Bashar al-Assad's fall and Mark Henley documents the UN headquarters in New York.

The event program includes opening receptions, guided tours in German and French, and a conversation with Mario Heller. The Swiss National Library collects Helvetica and safeguards Switzerland's cultural memory as an institution of the Federal Office of Culture.

Key Statements

  • Swiss Press Photo 26 offers a photographic retrospective of 2025 in six thematic categories
  • Mario Heller receives the award for Photographer of the Year for his series from threatened Narva (Estonia)
  • The exhibition combines national and international perspectives on social upheaval and everyday moments

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Source Validity: What criteria define the Swiss Press Award jury's selection of the six categories, and how is the representativeness of these categories for the year 2025 ensured?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: To what extent does the partnership with the Reinhardt von Graffenried Foundation influence the curation and weighting of the exhibited works?

  3. Causality/Alternatives: Does the exhibition also show photographs offering alternative or critical perspectives on the mentioned events (e.g., gymnastics festival, rockslide), or does one viewpoint dominate?

  4. Feasibility/Reach: How is the exhibition at the Swiss National Library made accessible to various population groups, and are there digital mediation formats for visitors unable to attend in person?

  5. Representation: Which geographic regions of Switzerland and which population groups are overrepresented or underrepresented in the exhibited photographs?

Sources

Primary Source: Swiss Press Photo 26 – Exhibition Swiss National Library Bern – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/6wX39I8seZAzUgif_MVn7

Verification Status: ✓ 09.07.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 09.07.2026