Spotlight on people

From 6 June to 26 September 2027, the sixth edition of Lens op de Mens will transform the centre of Pelt, Belgium, into a large open-air photography festival. Hundreds of photographs by amateur and professional photographers from Belgium and abroad will be presented along a freely accessible walking route, complemented by exhibitions at several indoor venues.

The festival focuses on people and the many ways photography can tell stories about human life. Each edition introduces a subtheme; in 2027 this will be Tradition. We invite photographers to explore traditions, rituals and customs, but also to question traditions within photography itself. How can established traditions be approached through a contemporary or unexpected visual language? Can photographic presentation move beyond the conventional paper print? An international open call and jury form the basis of the festival. 

Amateur and professional photographers are deliberately presented alongside each other, creating encounters between different levels of experience, generations, cultures and photographic approaches. In 2027 we will further strengthen the festival as a place for international exchange. 

Exhibitions will be accompanied by workshops, talks, portfolio feedback, mentoring, debates and encounters with photographers and experts from different countries. Through collaborations with photography organisations, festivals and cultural partners across Europe and beyond, we aim to create connections that continue after the festival and can lead to new collaborations and presentation opportunities.

The theme Tradition also connects Lens op de Mens with the European Music Festival for Young People (EMJ), which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2027. Together we are developing a photographic exhibition exploring this long-standing international tradition rooted in Pelt.

By presenting photography throughout the public space, Lens op de Mens reaches far beyond a traditional exhibition audience. Residents, visitors and passers-by encounter photography as part of everyday life. The festival combines this accessibility with artistic quality, international exchange and opportunities for photographers to meet, learn, experiment and develop their practice.