MoMA’s 40th ‘New Photography’ Exhibit Features 13 Boundary-Breaking Photographers

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The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its renowned New Photography series with the launch of New Photography 2025: Lines of Belonging. The exhibition explores the concept of belonging and community in a world increasingly defined by connections and shared histories.

A Landmark Anniversary

Since its debut in 1985, New Photography has introduced more than 150 innovative artists to MoMA’s audiences, positioning the series as one of the foremost platforms for contemporary photographic practices.

The latest iteration of the program’s exhibition, which opens on September 14, 2025, and runs through January 17, 2026, brings together the work of 13 international artists and collectives from four major global cities: Johannesburg, Kathmandu, New Orleans, and Mexico City. This milestone exhibition offers a diverse range of photographic work, featuring artists at various stages of their careers. Each artist presents distinct bodies of work that weave personal narratives with broader themes of colonial history, environmental change, and the social structures that shape our understanding of community.

Organized across three gallery spaces, the exhibition engages visitors in a reflection on the natural, artificial, and immaterial elements that define our interconnected lives. The works featured in New Photography 2025 explore everything from rivers and museums to family trees and archival materials, challenging the viewer to rethink how belonging and identity are constructed and remembered.

A collage of four photos: a close-up of a tattooed chest, a vibrant group celebrating in costumes and face paint, two men posing outdoors, and a group of women gathered and singing outside. — Clockwise from top left: Sandra Blow. Tony. 2018. Inkjet Print. 7 5/8 × 11 3/8″ (19.4 × 28.9 cm). © 2025 Sandra Blow; L. Kasimu Harris. Come Tuesday (Marwan Pleasant at Sportsman’s Corner), New Orleans. 2020. Inkjet Print. 24 x 36 in. (61 x 91 cm). © 2025 L. Kasimu Harris. Courtesy the artist; Saraswati Rai Collection / Nepal Picture Library. Print from digital archive. Courtesy GEFONT Collection / Nepal Picture Library; Sabelo Mlangeni. Mbulelo and Friends, Thembisa Township. 2004.Gelatin silver print. 9 5/8 × 14 3/8″ (24.4 × 36.5 cm). © 2025 Sabelo Mlangeni

Key Works and Themes

One of the standout pieces in the exhibition is a site-specific installation from the Nepal Picture Library, titled The Public Life of Women: A Feminist Memory Project. This work draws on a digital archive that brings attention to the lived experiences of Nepali women, offering a rare and empowering look into their history.

A large crowd of people, mostly women in colorful clothing, sit outdoors in a circle while a person on a tricycle appears to speak or perform in the center, with a building and palm trees in the background. — Saraswati Rai Collection / Nepal Picture Library. A mass meeting of former kamlaris (women bonded labourers) in Kanchanpur, Nepal (2010) from The Public Life of Women: A Feminist Memory Project. 2023. Digital Image. Courtesy GEFONT Collection / Nepal Picture Library

Three women in traditional clothing walk down a dirt path surrounded by grass, shrouded in dense white fog. The mist obscures the background, creating a soft, ethereal atmosphere. — Prasiit Sthapit. Saloni and friends (2013) from Change of Course. 2012-18. © 2025 Prasiit Sthapit. Courtesy the artist

A fabric artwork with a black-and-white photo of people interacting, overlaid with pink embroidered text reading: "Perhaps on pieces of a matriarchal past," framed by a gold border. — Sheelasha Rajbhandari. Agony of the New Bed (detail). 2023. Thirty inkjet prints on linen, embroidery thread, metal thread, glass beads, on 30 beds, wood, imitation gold leaf. Each 12 3/8 × 8 7/16 × 6 1/2″ (31.5 × 21.5 × 16.5 cm). © 2025 Sheelasha Rajbhandari

Gabrielle Garcia Steib, based in New Orleans, takes a more personal approach by transforming family archives into moving images that reflect the connections between Latin America and the southern United States.

A vintage photo of three women sitting on a couch is overlaid on a typed Spanish letter addressed “A MI HIJA.” The letter is dated New Orleans, January 13, 1971, and parts of the text are visible behind the photo. — Gabrielle Garcia Steib. Still from The Past is a Foreign Country. 2020. Super 8 and archival footage. 3 min. 19 sec. © 2025 Gabrielle Garcia Steib. Courtesy the artist

Other works in the exhibition delve into the themes of kinship and chosen families, reflecting on the resilience and inclusivity of social bonds. Gabrielle Goliath’s Berenice 29–39 (2022), a powerful photographic series, engages with the intersection of personal trauma and societal history.

A person with a shaved head, wearing a white sleeveless top and silver jewelry, stands against a gradient pink and beige background, looking directly at the camera. Tattoos are visible on their right arm. — Gabrielle Goliath. Berenice 29–39 (detail). Eleven inkjet prints. Each 35 7/16 × 35 7/16″ (90 × 90 cm). © 2025 Gabrielle Goliath. Photo: Martin Parsekian

The exhibition concludes with a vibrant group of images from Sandra Blow, whose photographs celebrate LGBTQ+ youth culture and the rich artistic community of Mexico City.

A person wearing a white veil and cap poses indoors, holding a bouquet of orange lilies. They wear metallic gloves and a unique, futuristic outfit with hoop earrings and dramatic makeup. — Sandra Blow. Allan Balthazar (2017) from Untitled. 2017-20. Inkjet print. 43 1/4 × 28 13/16″ (109.9 × 73.2 cm). © 2025 Sandra Blow
;Latin American and Caribbean Fund;© 2024 Sandra Blow

Curatorial Reflection on Solidarity and Kinship

Roxana Marcoci, MoMA’s Acting Chief Curator, highlights the exhibition’s focus on solidarity and kinship in today’s politically turbulent climate.

“The 40th anniversary of the New Photography program offers an opportunity for curatorial reflection on creative expressions of kinship and solidarity. This exhibition centers artists who sustain communities, drawing out connective threads that transcend borders and reflect a politics of care and everyday resilience,” says Marcoci.

A wall display of photographs, papers, drawings, and colored threads arranged in a branching, tree-like pattern, connecting the various items and creating a visual web across a white background. — Lindokuhle Sobekwa. Tell it to the Mountains. 2020. Installation view at A4 Art Foundation, South Africa, December 2020. © 2025 Lindokuhle Sobekwa. Courtesy the artist

Abstract artwork featuring soft, pastel colors with swirling patterns of blue, pink, yellow, and purple; textured areas and faint bubble-like shapes create a dreamy, watercolor-like effect. — Renee Royale. River at Chalmette Battlefield (Fazendeville) from Landscapes of Matter. 2023. © 2025 Renee Royale. Courtesy the artist

A contemporary art installation in a gallery features monochrome cutouts of a person and objects on a black metal frame, casting large shadows on a white wall. Black-and-white photographs are displayed on the adjacent wall. — Lebohang Kganye. Untouched by the ancient caress of time, 2022. Installation view of Staging Memories, the Grand Prix Images Vevey 2021/2022 winning project, produced by Images Vevey (Switzerland) and premiered at the Biennale Images Vevey 2022. Photo: Emilien Itim

Featured Artists and Collectives

New Photography 2025 showcases the work of a wide range of international talent, with artists hailing from Johannesburg, Kathmandu, New Orleans, and Mexico City. The exhibition includes Sandra Blow, Gabrielle Goliath, L Kasimu Harris, and Lebohang Kganye from Johannesburg; Tania Franco Klein and Lake Verea (a collective of Francisca Rivero-Lake and Carla Verea) from Mexico City; Sheelasha Rajbhandari and Prasiit Sthapit from Kathmandu; and Gabrielle Garcia Steib, Renee Royale, and Sabelo Mlangeni from New Orleans. Additionally, the Nepal Picture Library is featured for its vital work in documenting the lives of Nepali women.

These artists represent a diverse array of practices, from documentary and archival photography to experimental and conceptual art, offering fresh perspectives on the themes of memory, identity, and community.

A person in a gold suit sits with legs crossed, displaying multiple gold rings and a gold watch on their hands. A table with a drink and napkins is visible in the background. — L. Kasimu Harris. “King” Joe Lindsey and his Royal Setup (Roberton’s Vieux Carre Lounge), New Orleans, from Vanishing Black Bars and Lounges. 2022. Inkjet print. 24 x 36” (61 x 91.4 cm). © 2025 L. Kasimu Harris. Courtesy the artist

A woman with blonde hair sits alone at a wooden table in a dimly lit room, her reflection appearing multiple times in the mirrors behind her. Warm light emphasizes her contemplative expression. Drinks and an ashtray are on the table. — Tania Franco Klein. Mirrored Table, Person (Subject #14) from Subject Studies: Chapter 1. 2022. Inkjet print. 29 1/2 × 39 1/2″ (74.9 × 100.3 cm). © 2025 Tania Franco Klein. Courtesy the artist

Programming and Support

In conjunction with the exhibition, MoMA will host a Forum on Contemporary Photography on September 8, 2025, from 4:15 to 6:15 p.m. in the Celeste Bartos Theater. The event will feature contributions from the artists, providing further insights into their work and the themes explored in New Photography 2025.

Leadership support for the exhibition is provided by the William Randolph Hearst Endowment Fund for Photography and the Marion Silverstein Slain Fund, with major funding from The Contemporary Arts Council of MoMA and Agnes Gund through The International Council of MoMA. The Bloomberg Connects digital experience is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Two people dressed in patterned traditional and formal attire stand together, cutting a cake at a decorated table with a champagne bottle, glasses, and a tall stack of pastries. — Sabelo Mlangeni. Faith and Sakhi Moruping, Thembisa Township (2004) from Isivumelwano. 2003-20. Gelatin silver print. 14 5/8 × 10 9/16″ (37.1 × 26.8 cm). © 2025 Sabelo Mlangeni

Metal double doors with a decorative floral pattern and glass panels. Two faint reflections of people are visible in the glass, and greenery can be seen outside through the door. — Lake Verea (Carla Verea Hernández and Francisca Rivero-Lake). Hojas de Metal (Metal Leaves). 2019. Chromogenic print. 118 1/8 × 72″ (300 × 182.9 cm). © 2025 Lake Verea. Courtesy the artists

A Global Conversation Through Photography

New Photography 2025: Lines of Belonging invites visitors to engage with the complex, transnational nature of belonging, identity, and community. The exhibition offers a space for reflection on how our collective histories shape our present and future, using photography as a medium to connect, challenge, and inspire. With works from a wide range of artists across the globe, the exhibition underscores the power of art to transcend borders and promote a deeper understanding of the world we share.

Image credits: MoMA, Individual artists as credited

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