For me it began when I, as a twelve-year-old newcomer in London, wanted to show my friends something from my native country. They came from places like the Caribbean, Brazil, and India, places brimming with cultural belonging familiar to everyone: reggae, Pelé, samba, calypso, rai-music, and more. I wanted them to know that I was also from a cool place, so I created things, graffiti, and scenarios, that I shot with a borrowed camera. Things that mixed the Moroccan with the vibrant London that we all lived in. But it was in 1989 when I bought myself a used Pentax from Zak Ove that everything really took off.

In Hajjaj's imagery, which combines fashion, Pop-Art, and politics, the Moroccan inheritance is an ever-present element. This self-taught and multifaceted artist, mostly known for his photography, has established himself as one of Morocco's most internationally prominent artists. To now exhibit his work at Fotografiska is really exciting.

Stories and scenes kind of pop up. I see them constantly around me, and love to explore them. I become more and more interested in telling these stories, in surprising the viewer and making them think, for example about what we are doing to our dear planet.

Erik Johansson is like a Magritte of photography, that with his photographic canvas makes us amazed, makes us laugh, and makes us want to step straight into his world. An image-magician. A realist. A photography-craftsman that weaves the absurd into the everyday of our contemporary world. With visual roots that manage to unite across country borders, his photography has gained recognition around the world. In Places Beyond, Johansson's biggest exhibition so far, he continues to challenge the limits of imagination and search for the places beyond. 

Malin Fezehai is a young, award-winning Swedish-Eritrean photographer based in New York, that's been working in over 30 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and America, often with a focus on cultures in change. She has, for example, documented people subjected to extremism south of Sahara at the request of the UN, which resulted in the book Survivors. In the Fotografiska For Life exhibition Power of Hands, Fezehai's empathic photography shows us how much of what is deeply human constantly unites us.

My hands are my tools in the creation of the image, but they also mean a lot when I portray people. How the expression of their body is captured is just as important as the facial expression. Because it can communicate so many different things, like tenderness, pride, joy, or sadness. People are the same and different all over the world, in the same way as individuals are the same and different. We all live in the same world with different realities, and I constantly try to learn about people's different lives – regardless of if the person is a refugee, a politician, or a musician. I work in many different realities and to me the human connection is the most important.

Power of Hands celebrates one of humanity's most important tools. If we use our hands in the right way, we can strengthen and help each other – we can save lives. But hands also cause the spread of infection, if they are not kept clean. Essity spreads knowledge about the importance of good hand-hygiene that can prevent infections. We want every visitor of the exhibition to become an ambassador of good hand-hygiene. By cooperating we can reach more people. The more of us there are, the more we can prevent the spread of infections, and raise the level of well-being in the world.

We need stronger global research-cooperation and development of new pharmaceuticals that are produced in a sustainable way, and reach all who need them. Otherwise, millions of people will die in infectious diseases – diseases that we've gotten used to cure with antibiotics. Resistant bacteria are already raising the numbers of deaths from sepsis, and if we can't turn the tide, chances are infections from wounds, and pneumonia, will become deadly once more. Everyone has to help out to decrease the use of antibiotics, for example unnecessary use of it to treat the common cold. Access to clean water and hygiene has to increase all over the world to decrease infections and the need for antibiotics.

We must both photograph them before they’re gone, and fight to prevent this from happening. Every tribe possesses a unique story in its capacity to symbiotically live together with wildlife and nature, a skill that has sometimes taken millennia to evolve. And they will soon disappear if we don’t make a concerted effort, and when they disappear our roots will disappear along with them.

All of the 100 or so photographs in the exhibition showcase Jimmy Nelson’s unique expression, which has made him the acclaimed photographer, scenographer, and director he is. He works meticulously and can spend days on each image to ensure his vision is achieved; the spellbinding, enchanting atmosphere produced by the right light. Always in heartfelt and close cooperation with those he portrays.

I grew up with a geologist father who in his job travelled all over the world, and I loved living among different peoples. I was then placed in a strict boarding school in England and, ever since, I have yearned to revisit the encounters of my childhood and I never felt that I truly fit into normal, well-ordered urban life. Often, the peoples I meet and I share no common language, but there are always ways to reach common ground – when both parties are willing. For me personally, all of my travels and photographing have a lot to do with searching for a place where I can feel that I belong.

Some think of me as a photojournalist. It isn’t true. Others think I am an activist. That isn’t true either. The only truth is that photography is my life. All my photos correspond to moments that I have experienced intensely. All these images exist because life, my life, has driven me to make them.

Nowadays, we race through our lives, and so we miss out on a lot. If you do something similar with my pictures, you’ll see something completely different compared to when you take time and actually take in what you see. These images require attention, which in itself is an invitation to reflect at a time where images are flashing past all the time.

Saga Wendotte's photographs manage to create both effects and reflection in a skilful way. Her compositions, with their distinct contrasts between what viewers may first perceive as a pure advert, and then on reflection realise are powerful messages, have a massive impact. What makes it even more exciting is incorporating a further dimension with the Augmented Reality project.

Early on in my life I experienced injustices as I came to Sweden, I was deemed different. There was a form of passiveness in the schoolyards of 80s Sweden. And that people stand idly by with their arms crossed is something I’ve come across plenty during my conversations with some of the last survivors of the holocaust. I strive to create a lasting impact by retelling these powerful stories.  Not only does it give us insight into the minds of the last witnesses of the holocaust, it also provides us with an internal moral compass that directs us to how we can achieve a better society for our fellow people and for ourselves

It is our responsibility to listen. The project Fading stories – pass them on connects history to the personal duty we have today in determining questions such as: What is my responsibility as a fellow human being today? What humane values are important to me? How can I act on my values through action? Raoul Wallenberg Academy equips young individuals with moral courage, and adds it to the project as partner for this exhibition.

Fotografiska For Life exhibitions highlight important social issues and it’s frightening that we are once again living in an era where the idea of universal equality is being challenged and a greyscale of alternative histories are emerging. Fading Stories - pass them on makes it very apparent just how important moral courage and compassion are to all of us.

The digital revolution will continue to affect us in ways we find difficult to grasp. So much is happening in so many areas for the first time, and we’re continually breaking new ground. Such as here, producing art based on a machine’s vision, a kind of journey in time and space interpreting what has been, and creating alternative scenarios of what could have been.

We explore, among other things, photographic memories from the past 150 years and offer the viewer a chance to experience something completely new. A re-imagining of the development of modern-day Stockholm, a latent source of information waiting to be revealed. Latent History reveals the old that would otherwise remain unprocessed and unseen in dark archives. Individuals and collectives, bodies and spaces, that have coalesced to create the city we experience today

Since Anadol is now creating Latent History exclusively for Fotografiska, we can guarantee our visitors a monumental and different experience, which feels very special. It’s always important to raise awareness and this exhibition will encourage the viewer to ask important new questions about a city in constant flux.

Nachtwey is an acute witness, who has devoted his career to documenting some of the most crucial issues of contemporary history. That Fotografiska now show this extraordinary important exhibition Memoria is part of our vision to inspire a more conscious world.

...because he has never stopped believing that there is reason behind his work, because he has never stopped believing that his images have their greatest possible effect only if the eye and the heart behind them have an unfailing faith in humanity and its ability for compassion. For all of these reasons and many more we should stop calling him a “war photographer.” Instead, look upon him as a man of peace, a man whose longing for peace makes him go to war and expose himself… in order to make peace.

My role is a kind of interpreter, one with facts and insight into just how dangerous the plastics found in the sea are and with the ability to present this knowledge in an easily accessible form. The more I learn from research, the more determined I become to work to create awareness that change is necessary

I want to convey something genuine without the technology getting in the way of that meeting. There's a need for frank, intimate storytelling which creates communication and understanding between us. For us, with the help of photography, to see ourselves and our fellow man without complicating matters and becoming so fixated with the technology that it takes precedence over the human element. For me, the meeting is always centre stage, and using analogue technology to preserve our photographic heritage is a means of upholding an important tradition.

One of the most important aspects of Vincent Peters' work is the light, or absence of light. The way in which he uses light and shadow plays a central role, with Peters able to choose what is revealed and what is concealed. Using an analogue camera, he captures his subjects with a finesse resulting in intimate, beautiful and sensual portraits, the gestures and poses often borrowed from romantic Hollywood films of the 1950s and 60s.

The people living in these remote places, who live so much closer to nature than most of us, are very helpful to cooperate and create the scenes with props that are available. It can take some time to build trust, but often they feel sorry for me traveling on my own and they invite me, and then I invite them to help me create the theme of the picture.

It’s impressing the impact Scarlett Hooft Graafland works has. Despite the heavy themes the result of the projects are always light, colourful and lustful scenes. She works totally analog using the natural light and an analog camera capturing the staged often surrealistic scenes. We are very happy and proud to here present Vanishing Traces that includes work never showed before

It's about recreating a childhood which never took place, or which was never experienced. A difficult and precarious balance act of combining memories, fantasies and dreams. Being lost and frightened in an unknown world. The search for identity as a child, but perhaps even more so as an adult. What becomes of you if you were never allowed to be a child? How do you learn to play as an adult?

Jessica Silversaga's photographs are born from a kind of limbo, between childhood and adulthood, between play and gravitas. With the help of her camera, she collects memories, both those she has and those she hasn't,

As viewers, we are invited to use our own experiences to complement the delicate outlines formed in the meeting between the female protagonist and nature. Silversaga's images are dream-like yet dark, and with their apparent simplicity she creates a feeling of contrast in both the composition and the subject. An inner force seems to emanate from them, alternating between limiting and offering freedom.

I wish it would be just a story but what happened that day was one of the ignominious facts of the human history. I reached at the site straight after hearing the news. It took almost 90 seconds to grasp the life of a thousand people. Those burnt faces, crumpled corps, persistent rescuers and family members with their helplessness; everything was so intense and raw. Some have lost their loved ones; some lost the only wage earner of their family or the only hope of their better life. Mainly, I was focused on portraying the virulent stories behind those indigent workers

Rahul Talukder is an attentive observer of his environment and his fellow people. Gifted with the photographic talent to discern decisive moments in everyday life and finding rough gems in a mundane surrounding, he beautifully portrays the streets of Dhaka. With the same eye he observes and documents radical political changes and industrial situations in his home country of Bangladesh

The purpose is simple, we use the power of photography to unite, spread awareness and create positive impact in society. By giving space to the stories behind the images we open up for discussions on topics that can't be ignored, regardless whether it's beautiful, painful, surprising or uncomfortable.

We’re thrilled to expand globally, and we will continue to inspire a higher consciousness through beautiful and thought-provoking photography. We believe Telliskivi Creative City in Tallinn will be the perfect home for the next Fotografiska and later this year New York City and London will follow.

Fotografiska constantly strives to contribute to a more conscious world. We want to encourage people to widen their horizons and grow” says Per Broman. “If you can use photography to nudge people into presence and offer them new perspectives, then chances are they will become more empathic. Fotografiska definitely wants to help create a better world and we are honored to pursue that opportunity in Tallinn.

Photographs have always inspired me, been there, provided cutouts. Perhaps because they don't compete with drawing and painting, they've been outside that room, not fighting over the toys, so to speak. I read in pictures. I'm attracted by the frozen, how a shadow fell just then, how the wind flustered a notebook, that step no one would otherwise remember taking centre stage in a photograph and being immortalised.

In this exhibition have the photographs been filtered, centrifuged, copied and cut to pieces layer by layer. My typewriters and notebooks have been drenched in ink and oil. It's been a messy but rewarding exploration of my creative subconscious. And none of the images has been manipulated, everything has happened.

Jesper Waldersten has long been praised for satire that hits the mark, stark black humour and topicality. All Over takes us on a journey through a Walderstenian world populated by shadows and mysterious characters, into the belly laugh of the calligraphic Sweden is just hell without any fire, via the straight right of the skull in The Satanic Drunk to the tender moment when dawn illuminates the typed question: Jag är väl inte död än? (I'm not dead yet, am I?)

She Could Have Been A Cowboy is not really about being a cowboy. It’s about wanting to be another. I wanted something that could stand for a vast number of things, a symbol for all those dreams not being fulfilled, whether they are to do with sexuality, gender, religion, or lifestyle. Big or small, I think a lot of us have something we wish we could do or be, but something prevents us. I wanted my characters to be symbols rather than real people. They could be anyone. It’s not about who they are but what they stand for”

"We felt that somehow my mother was with us, so it was important that we always went to the woods as planned, regardless of the weather. So we hauled these creations through snowstorms and downpours to let that which was supposed to happen actually happen. The overall feeling of this tribute to my mother was that it just needed to be done. It was like escaping to a place that felt deeply meaningful, in the midst of everything else,"

For the first time, the exhibition will include all 74 photographs featured in the Wonderland book. The exhibition is a true fairy tale experience – like a brightly coloured firework display where magic and reality meet on the journey we call life,

As subject matter, Stockholm has an essentially endless offering. And, it seems, this makes it irresistible to photographers. A setting where we snap each other, see the world or use the city as a backdrop for our own stories. And it's not only those of us who live here who shoot the city, so does everyone who visits. This means that several of the exhibited photos were taken by foreign photographers.

The exhibition is a commentary on the fact that my feminine aesthetics are always seen as only being about sex, which is far from the truth. Sex is an important subject, but it does my art a disservice to say that it's largely about sex. It's more a case of wanting to show that how sex is portrayed usually has very little to do with the reality. And this is something I want to highlight in this exhibition. To inflate something, to make something that actually takes very little space spread out and instead take a great deal of space. Hence the title, Inflated Fiction.

This year, 2018, will mark the fifth anniversary of Fotografiska's Autumn Salon and we're celebrating this milestone with a new take on this well-established competition, which is being developed together with the actual museum. Which is why in 2018 we're introducing Fotografiska Talent. An exhibition that will retain the core elements as a tribute to Sweden's photographers, both established and amateur, and all photography enthusiasts and residents of Sweden.

We believe that producing powerful media and art that gives people hope is imperative. Hope is empowerment. Hope is a solution. Hope is a game changer. SeaLegacy has developed a powerful, expedition-driven impact model that triggers global support for sustainable ocean solutions. And we manage to activate a million-strong community to act on the crisis and the opportunities to make a difference: To turn the tide,

We depend on healthy oceans to survive. In order to save the oceans we need to team up and act – and to act we need to be inspired and hopeful for positive change. Sea Legacy’s images have the ability to evoke emotions, and with emotional images effective campaigns can be realised. The title of the exhibition is a call to arms – a rally for all us to work together to turn the tide. For us, this Fotografiska For Lifeexhibition is a source of great pride in being able to contribute to this essential issue facing our future

We want to use this Fotografiska For Life exhibition to spotlight an issue that has a profound impact on people's lives, a crisis that must be taken seriously since its consequences are so severe and sweeping. For both the concerned individuals and society as a whole. A roof over your head – the face of the housing crisis will be exhibited on Fotografiska's façade, as well as on Gotland during Almedalen Week, to encourage debate. This is exactly what our Fotografiska For Life exhibitions are all about.

The exhibition introduces us to, for example, a family with three children with not quite twenty square metres between them for living, eating and sleeping. They've been living in a student apartment for almost ten years, having been unable to find any other alternative. The room is furnished with two sofa beds, a small table and a TV. The hallway has a toilet, a shower and a small kitchenette. The eldest son, who is seven years old, told me that it's hard to concentrate when doing his homework as there are so many people at home. The entire family are forced to eat dinner with their plates on their laps as they have no kitchen table.

Despite holding down permanent jobs, many people have trouble finding a home of their own, which means countless young adults are forced to live with their parents. I have a permanent position at a school, but still lives at home with my mum. This three-bedroom apartment in Skarpnäck is also home to my two brothers and my mum's partner. I have been in the housing queue for several years, but it'll be many more before i'll be eligible for an apartment. The hardest part is having no privacy and having to accommodate four other people in everything you do. Most of my friends are facing the same situation.

I pay five thousand Swedish crowns a month, under the table, for a bed in a dormitory shared with ten other people. Several of them are new arrivals in Sweden, and they pay at least double that. It's good business for the owners, and we're allowed to stay as long as we like. There have been problems with bed bugs, however, and the ventilation is very poor, but what choice do I have?