THE WORLD IN FOCUS

ALBERTINA MUSEUM, VIENNA

Today, photography and travel are inextricably linked – yet this connection dates back to the establishment of the new medium in the nineteenth century. The exhibition The World in Focus is dedicated to travel and expedition photography from the mid-nineteenth century onwards, when photography was increasingly employed to capture images of the world. Photographs were valued for their precision, wealth of detail, and reproducibility. Compared with the draughtsmen who had previously accompanied expeditions and were gradually replaced by photographers, work on site could also be carried out much more quickly.

The extensive series at the heart of the exhibition depict different regions of the world and tell of shifting claims to power, the expansion of mobility, the exploration of remote landscapes, and the emergence of tourism. The presentation also sheds light on the contexts in which photographers were sent on journeys, the conditions under which the images were created, and the ways in which they were presented in exhibitions, facilitated the transfer of knowledge, and had a lasting impact on perceptions of distant territories.

The World in Focus exclusively presents photographs from the ALBERTINA collection and from the collection of the Höhere Graphische Bundes-Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt, which is held at the ALBERTINA on permanent loan. With this exhibition, the ALBERTINA continues its series of thematic presentations drawn from its important photographic collection, revealing yet another facet of one of Austria’s most extensive photographic holdings.

The exhibition is on view from 22 July until 26 October 2026.