Verano Vienés 2026 opens its second edition!

A Night Celebrating Latin America in Vienna with a great constellation!

8/10/20263 min read

Night Celebrating Latin America in Vienna

Verano Vienés 2026 opens its second edition!

Photography: @ivett.angeles

On 7 August, we experienced a deeply moving evening as we opened the second edition of Verano Vienés – The Latin American Photo & Film Fest at Günter Wien.

The ceremony began with a warm welcome from Eloina Viveros, Founder and Festival Director of Verano Vienés, and Frederick Platt, General Coordinator, who welcomed the audience and opened an evening dedicated to Latin American photography, film and music.

It was particularly meaningful to welcome His Excellency José Antonio Zabalgoitia, Ambassador of the United Mexican States to the Republic of Austria, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Slovenia and the United Nations Office at Vienna, who delivered the festival's Opening Address.

This edition proudly celebrates Mexico as our Guest Country, following the extraordinary participation of Mexican artists in our international open call. For Verano Vienés, this connection with Mexico is especially meaningful, and it was a beautiful way to begin this edition by celebrating one of the cultures that has so strongly accompanied and supported the growth of this project.

The evening was also illuminated by a true constellation of women artists who travelled to Vienna to share their work and perspectives: Ornella Cinara Marchese Asís from Uruguay, Second Prize Winner of our photography competition; Amiyarai Valbuena Casas from Colombia, Honourable Mention; and Iris Chantal Carrillo López from Mexico.

Their work engages deeply with identity, territory, culture and tradition, and with the role of women as guardians and transmitters of the knowledge and practices that give meaning to their communities. It was particularly moving to hear them speak about their creative processes and the stories behind their images.

We would like to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who joined us and helped make this opening such a special night. And a very special thank you to Günter Wien, for welcoming us with such generosity and warmth and for being wonderful hosts for our Opening Ceremony. Having a space that opens its doors to the stories, artists and cultures of Latin America means a great deal to us.

Thank you as well to everyone who has believed in Verano Vienés, to our artists, collaborators, institutions, guests and to the audience who made it possible to begin this second edition with a full house and full hearts.

Verano Vienés 2026 is officially underway.

Mexican music also had a special place in the evening. Mezzo-soprano Liz Lozano joined us with a celebration of Mexican music, featuring works by María Grever and Manuel M. Ponce. Her performance reminded us that the ways we preserve and express identity do not live only through images, but also through music, voice and the cultural expressions we continue to pass from one generation to the next.

The evening continued with the screening of Sketches in the Sky (Trazos de Cielo) by Mexican filmmaker Ligia Cortés, a documentary filmed in Veracruz and spoken in Spanish and Totonac. The film explores identity and tradition through the voices of a new generation within the tradition of the Voladores de Papantla.

It was an evening filled with emotion, encounters and, above all, an enormous sense of affection for this project.