How much are we truly willing to share, and what does it mean to be connected in an increasingly networked world? How can photography capture the ways we relate to one another, to our communities, and to the world around us?
In “Shared/Connected”, Rotterdam Photo 2025 explored the evolving relationship between individual and collective experience. At a time when digital technologies have made connection ubiquitous, the festival invited photographers to consider what meaningful togetherness might look like — from rediscovered family ties and questions of identity to social and ecological engagement, technological innovation, and the possibility of a shared common good.
The theme brought together a new wave of photographic talent: digital natives who have grown up in a culture dominated by images and who are redefining both the visual language and possibilities of photography. Their work navigated the delicate balance between subjective perspective and visual expression, offering critical, curious, and often experimental approaches to what it means to live together in a connected world.
