© Luis González Palma
BJP catches up with Director Lydia Melamed Johnson to learn more about the fair, this year unveiling the new Discovery sector alongside a vast roster of global exhibitors and thought-provoking programming
The Photography Show 2025 by AIPAD returns to New York’s Park Avenue Armory from 23 till 27 April, hoping to fuse tradition with innovation. As the longest-running photography fair in the world, AIPAD continues to be a landmark for fine art photography, and this year introduces exciting developments.
“There are so many to choose from!” Lydia Melamed Johnson – Executive Director of AIPAD – tells me when I ask her to pick some standout gallerists. “Hans Kraus is bringing a magnificent work that exemplifies the poetry of early photography.We also have an exciting trifecta of female gallerists that are returning to AIPAD: Sasha Wolf, Rose Gallery and Polka. Michael Hoppen & HackelBury’s presentations are always standouts as well,” she continues.
Since its return to the Park Avenue Armory in 2024, AIPAD has embraced new ideas while maintaining its core focus on quality and expertise. “Many of the world’s great photography collections have come out of AIPAD; one only needs to reference the incredible exhibition on American Photography curated by Mattie and Hans opening at the Rijksmuseum or Mia Fineman and Anastasia Samolyva’s exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of New York to see what projects and work have come out of the fair,” Melamed Johnson explains. The addition of Discovery, the enhanced role of publishers, and the expanded programming make 2025 a particularly significant year for the fair.
“AIPAD needs to continue to evolve and grow with the market it represents, which includes encouraging the next generation of dealers, artists, curators and collectors.”
– Lydia Melamed Johnson, Director, AIPAD
Discovery shines a spotlight on emerging galleries and fresh or rediscovered talent through single-artist and tightly curated thematic presentations, reflecting AIPAD’s commitment to evolving with the medium while providing a platform for the next generation of photographic voices. “AIPAD needs to continue to evolve and grow with the market it represents, which includes encouraging the next generation of dealers, artists, curators and collectors,” reflects Melamed Johnson. First-time exhibitors like Galerie Alta (Andorra), Galerie Julian Sander (Germany), LARGE GLASS (UK), and Ungallery (Argentina) will join a roster of long-time participants, creating a dynamic interplay between contemporary perspectives and the historical giants of photography.
“We want to ensure that AIPAD stays encyclopaedic for the medium… Last year truly showcased contemporary photography in all its current forms, breaking the prevailing thought that AIPAD has been more historically oriented,” continues Melamed Johnson.
Returning favourites such as Bruce Silverstein, Howard Greenberg Gallery, and Michael Hoppen bring decades of expertise and iconic works to the fair, complementing the energy and experimentation of newer participants. Together, these exhibitors create a fair that bridges photography’s legacy with its future.
This year’s fair also features a revamped layout and a renewed focus on photobooks. For the first time, publishers will be integrated into the main exhibition space, underscoring the critical role of photography publishing in shaping the medium. Among the participating publishers are GOST Books (London), Setanta Books (London), Thames & Hudson (London) and Atelier EXB (Paris), who will share space in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall alongside galleries, fostering a unique blend of visual and printed storytelling.
Beyond the exhibitors, The Photography Show 2025 offers a robust slate of programming. Four days of AIPAD Talks, led by thought leaders in the arts, will explore the intersections of photography, culture, and history. Guided walkthroughs and educational events will add depth to the visitor experience, providing opportunities for deeper engagement with the works on display.
The panels will include conversations between first-generation immigrant artists, “as well as a great panel on 19th Century photography,” Melamed Johnson tells me. New partnerships include PBS All Arts and its new show Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort, and AIPAD is also in the process of launching a podcast partnership with Subtext & Discourse and Michael Dooney.
AIPAD will honour a transformative figure in photography with its annual award, presented during the newly introduced Opening Night Party on 23 April. The award, known for recognising individuals who have reshaped the way we perceive photography, reinforces the fair’s mission to champion innovation and excellence in the field.
From emerging voices to established names, from thought-provoking talks to the tactile pleasure of photobooks, this year’s fair offers an inspiring exploration of photography’s potential.
Looking forward, AIPAD hopes to continue its support for its members and broaden awareness and audiences for the medium of photography. “This means using new modes of media and collaboration,” says Melamed Johnson, “while keeping to the standards we are renowned for and hold the industry to.”
Here are the exhibitors at AIPAD’s Photography Show this year:
- 19th Century Rare Book & Photograph Shop | New York, NY
- Andrew Smith Gallery | Tucson, AZ
- Bildhalle | Zurich, Switzerland | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Bruce Silverstein | New York, NY
- Candela Gallery | Richmond, VA
- Catherine Couturier Gallery | Houston, TX
- Cavalier Galleries | New York, NY | Greenwich, CT | Nantucket, MA | Palm Beach, FL
- Charles Isaacs Photographs | New York, NY
- CLAMP | New York, NY
- Contemporary/Vintage Works | Chalfont, PA
- Daniel / Oliver Gallery | Brooklyn, NY
- Danziger Gallery | New York, NY
- Deborah Bell Photographs | New York, NY
- Echo Fine Arts | Cannes, France
- Form. Gallery | Dinard, France
- Galeria Alta | Andorra
- Galerie Johannes Faber | Vienna, Austria
- Galerie Julian Sander | Cologne, Germany
- GALERIE XII | Los Angeles, CA | Paris, France
- Galerija Fotografija Gallery | Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Gilman Contemporary | Ketchum, ID
- Gitterman Gallery | New York, NY
- HackelBury | London, UK
- Hans P. Kraus Jr. Inc. | New York, NY
- Higher Pictures | Brooklyn, NY
- Holden Luntz | Palm Beach, FL
- Howard Greenberg Gallery | New York, NY
- Ilaria Quadrani Fine Art | New York, NY
- Jackson Fine Art | Atlanta, GA
- jdc Fine Art | San Diego, CA
- Joseph Bellows Gallery | La Jolla, CA
- Keith de Lellis Gallery | New York, NY
- Koslov Larsen | Houston, TX
- La Galerie de L’Instant | Paris, France
- LARGE GLASS | London, UK
- Marshall Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
- Michael Hoppen | London, UK
- MIYAKO YOSHINAGA | New York, NY
- MUUS Collection | Tenafly, NJ
- Monroe Gallery of Photography | Santa Fe, NM
- Nailya Alexander Gallery | New York, NY
- Obscura Gallery | Santa Fe, NM
- Olivier Waltman Gallery | Miami, FL | Paris, France
- Patricia Conde Galería | Mexico City, Mexico
- Paul M. Hertzmann, Inc. | San Francisco, CA
- Peter Fetterman Gallery | Santa Monica, CA
- Photo Discovery | Paris, France
- POLKA Galerie | Paris, France
- Richard Moore Photographs | Oakland, CA
- Rick Wester Fine Art | New York, NY
- Robert Klein Gallery | Boston, MA
- Robert Mann Gallery | New York, NY
- Rose Gallery | Santa Monica, CA
- Sasha Wolf Projects | New York, NY
- Scheinbaum & Russek Ltd. | Santa Fe, NM
- Scott Nichols Gallery | Sonoma, CA
- Staley-Wise Gallery | New York, NY
- Stephen Bulger Gallery | Toronto, ON
- Stephen Daiter Gallery | Chicago, IL
- Throckmorton Fine Art | New York, NY
- Toluca Fine Art | Paris, France
- Ungallery | Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Vasari | Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Weston Gallery, Inc. | Carmel, CA
- Yancey Richardson | New York, NY
Photobook + Partners
- 10×10 Photobooks | New York, NY
- American Photography Archives Group | New York, NY
- Aperture | New York, NY
- Atelier EXB | Paris, France
- Convoke | New York, NY
- Datz Press | Seoul, South Korea
- GOST Books | London, UK
- Gravy Studio | Philadelphia, PA
- KGP MONOLITH | New York, NY
- L’Artiere | Bologna, Italy
- Le Plac’Art Photo | Paris, France
- Light Work | Syracuse, NY
- MW Editions | New York, NY
- Nearest Truth Editions | Slovakia
- Saint Lucy Books | Baltimore, MD
- Setanta Books | London, UK
- Thames & Hudson | London, UK | New York, NY
- TIS Books | New York, NY
- Workshop Arts | Brooklyn, NY
