Fotografiska in Stockholm – photographic art that provokes thought

Text and photo: Helena Bergström

Fotografiska in Stockholm is a museum we like to return to. The exhibitions change all the time, but our experience over the years has been the same: here you are often met with strong images, beautiful presentations and topics that provoke thought and make you reflect.

On a walk towards Fotografiska

We walk from Slussen towards Fotografiska and notice that a lot has happened since we last walked here. Under the new bridge, Stockholm suddenly feels very updated, and new restaurants and businesses have moved in.

At the same time, there is still some construction chaos along the road towards Fotografiska. There are roadblocks, temporary walkways and a bit of general chaos – but you can start to get an idea of what the area will look like when everything is eventually finished.

Fotografiska remains where it has always been, beautifully situated by the water at Stadsgårdskajen. And once there, you just step into a completely different world.

Photographic studio in Stockholm

Fotografiska opened in 2010 in Stora Tullhuset, a grand brick building designed by Ferdinand Boberg. The building was completed in 1910 and was originally used for customs operations – exactly a hundred years later Fotografiska opened here.

Fotografiska is not a traditional museum with a permanent collection that you go back to see again. Instead, new exhibitions of photography and other visual arts are constantly being shown. Around 15 new exhibitions open each year, meaning that a visit can look completely different the next time you come.

And that's exactly what we like. We've visited Fotografiska several times over the years and our experience is that the exhibitions are often both visually appealing and thought-provoking. It's not just about looking at beautiful photographs. The images can touch, provoke and raise questions about everything from society and identity to technology and our view of the world.

Exhibitions at Fotografiska

During our visit in October 2026, we saw all the current exhibitions. They were very different, both in terms of subjects and expression, but two of them really stuck out to us.

Harder Better Faster Stronger – what is it to be a man?

One of the exhibitions that made the biggest impression on us was Harder Better Faster Stronger – Are Men OK?, which had opened just a few days before our visit.

The exhibition brings together around thirty artists from different parts of the world and revolves around manhood and masculinity. What does it really mean to be a man today? What expectations are there around strength, achievement and success – and how do vulnerability, loneliness and insecurity fit into the picture?

It's the kind of exhibition where you don't just look at the pictures and move on. You start to think, discuss and perhaps question things you would otherwise take for granted. And we think Fotografiska is often very good at that type of exhibition.

The machine's eye in the human hand – about AI and images

Another exhibition that we were fascinated by was The machine's eye in the human hand. Here we find ourselves in the middle of one of the great questions of our time: what happens to photography and image creation when artificial intelligence can create images that have never existed?

Eight artists explore in different ways the relationship between man and machine, and questions about creativity, memories, manipulation and what we can really trust when we look at an image.

For us, who work a lot with images ourselves – and live in the middle of a time when AI is rapidly changing both image creation and other creative professions – the topic was of course particularly interesting.

But it wasn't just the questions that captivated us. Several of the moving works were incredibly visually delicious. Images changed and flowed into new forms in an almost hypnotic way. It was easy to stand (or sit) for a long time and just watch.

A museum where the exhibitions are part of the experience

It is of course difficult to write about current exhibitions at Fotografiska without the text eventually becoming dated. When you read this, completely different pictures may be displayed on the walls. But that is the point.

On previous visits we have seen completely different photographers and themes – including Erik Johansson's imaginative Places Beyond and Alex Prager's cinematic visual world. This time, some of our strongest impressions were about masculinity and artificial intelligence.

Next time it will probably be something completely different. That's why Fotografiska for us is not a museum you visit once and then check off the list. It's a museum to return to.

New restaurant concept at the top of the building

Things have also happened at the top of Fotografiska. The restaurant has a new concept called The Fifth Exhibition – the fifth exhibition – where food is seen as another part of the creative experience. Menus and themes change throughout the year and there is also a bar.

We had just been to a brunch event and were therefore far too full to eat. But we could of course look.

The restaurant is large and modern, but what really makes us stop is the windows. Through the enormous glass panels, Stockholm opens up outside, with water, boats and the city on the other side. It's a view that almost rivals the art a few floors down.

An inspiring store – and a small mishap

Before we leave Fotografiska, we also take a look in the museum shop. There are of course plenty of photo books and posters here, but also designer gadgets, gifts and other things that are dangerously easy to get a craving for.

At the entrance, we had also been polite and locked our things in one of the lockers. The only problem was that we forgot them.

Only after we passed through the barriers did we realize that our stuff was still in there. We just had to politely explain the situation and ask to be let back in. Oh well. We came home with both our stuff and our photographs from the day…

Photographic studio outside Stockholm

Fotografiska started in Stockholm but has over time developed into an international concept with operations in several parts of the world.

We have actually also visited Fotografiska in Tallinn, which is located in the creative area of Telliskivi. We also took the opportunity to eat at the restaurant there – so Fotografiska has had time to offer us quite a few different experiences over the years.

A museum to return to

There are many good museums in Stockholm, but Fotografiska has a special place among our favorites. Maybe it's because photography is close to our hearts. Pictures are a big part of our work with FREEDOMtravel, and we are fascinated by how much a picture can tell – sometimes without a single word.

But it's also about how Fotografiska presents its exhibitions. It's often stylish, well-thought-out and visually strong. At the same time, there's almost always something that irritates, surprises or makes us start discussing what we've just seen.

And when we leave Fotografiska this time, we will once again have more than just pictures in our camera. We will also have something new to think about.