Global Focus Project Returns to Xposure 2026 as a Landmark Zone for Visual Storytelling
The Global Focus Project (GFP) is set to make a dynamic return to Xposure 2026, taking centre stage as a dedicated Zone within the festival’s innovative new layout. Celebrating Xposure’s 10th anniversary edition under the theme “A Decade of Visual Storytelling”, the GFP brings together acclaimed photographers whose work captures the essence of place, the depth of lived experience, and the cultural truths woven into visual narratives where language can go no further.
Hosted at Aljada, Sharjah from 29th January to 4th February 2026, Xposure 2026 introduces the GFP Zone through a nomination-only selection process. Entry is reserved for those recommended by esteemed photography professionals, ensuring that only projects with recognized peer credibility are showcased.
A one-of-a-kind platform, the GFP Zone honours one outstanding male and one outstanding female photographer from each of the world’s six continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Oceania. With an emphasis on long-form documentary photography, the initiative spotlights works that tackle global themes yet remain deeply anchored to their origins.
Audiences are offered unique perspectives, from the frontlines of Indigenous land defence in Canada and the emotional aftermath of wars in Gaza and Ukraine, to the Amazon rainforest and the rapidly evolving terrains of China. Through twelve distinct visual languages, the Zone provides photographs that are intimate, culturally-grounded, and globally impactful.
Alya Al Suwaidi, Director of SGMB, noted:
“This project reflects what Xposure has always stood for. It is where photography becomes a cultural connection. GFP brings together six continents through stories that are rooted in place and shaped by lived experience, allowing audiences to meet the world through the eyes of those who know it best. By giving GFP a dedicated Zone at Xposure 2026, we are elevating these voices within the festival’s new architecture and reaffirming Sharjah’s role as a cultural capital where diverse narratives are welcomed, respected, and shared. The work documented in this Zone is not only visually powerful, it is historically important, because it preserves moments that may never be recorded again, and stories that might never otherwise travel beyond their communities.”
Asia: Memory, Landscape, and Survival
The GFP Zone’s Asian contributions delve into histories embedded in the land and communities shaped by conflict. In The Yellow River, Kechun Zhang of China explores the transformation of the nation’s most symbolic river, illuminating environmental loss and national memory. Samar Abu Elouf, from Palestine, documents the humanitarian realities faced by civilians affected by conflict in her series Out of Gaza, focusing on resilience amid adversity.
Africa: Dignity, Legacy, and Environmental Truths
In Africa, photo stories focus on dignity and collaborative storytelling. Oyewole Lawal of Nigeria highlights the unsung labourers of Olusosun, Africa’s largest landfill, in Earth’s Frontline Guardians of Gaia: The Unseen Eco-Warriors. His photographs elevate environmental workers as key contributors to sustainability. Amina Kadous from Egypt, in White Gold, draws on her family’s textile legacy in El Mehalla Al Kobra, weaving together personal memory and Egyptian economic history.
South America: Accountability and Indigenous Collaboration
South American entries treat photography as a medium for accountability. Alessandro Cinque’s El Precio de la Tierra traverses Peruvian mining communities over eight years, exposing environmental degradation and its impact on Quechua identity. Ana Sotelo of Peru teams up with Shipibo Kené artist Sadith Silvano in Portraits of the Multiverse, combining photography and ancestral arts to challenge conventional divides between art, knowledge, and nature.
North America: Resistance, Displacement, and Survival
In North America, the focus is on territories in flux. Canadian journalist Amber Bracken documents Wet’suwet’en Resistance, showcasing the realities of Indigenous land defence. Felix Márquez from Mexico explores the endless nature of migration in With No Ithaca Awaiting, conveying the vulnerability and endurance of those on the move.
Europe: Identity Confronts Change
European stories reflect how identity confronts both environmental and political challenges. Slovenian photographer Ciril Jazbec’s project SILA follows Inuit youth navigating tradition and climate adversity on Greenland’s Uummannaq Island. Svet Jacqueline, an American based in Ukraine, examines civilian life amid conflict in When the Smoke Clears, revealing resilience found in everyday routines, even as war alters reality.
Oceania: Land, Loss, and Ancestry
From Oceania, the landscape is both a witness and a legacy. Aletheia Casey of Australia’s A Lost Place reflects on loss and transformation following massive wildfires, linking ecological wounds to colonial pasts. In Out of Context, French artist Joel Benguigui explores the notions of place and identity through a film-based journey that crosses continents, examining how memory and movement shape a sense of belonging.
As the Global Focus Project Zone takes root in Xposure 2026’s new architecture, it amplifies voices often overlooked, connecting audiences to stories of transformation, resistance, and hope from every corner of the world.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
