Seoul is set to become a focal point for photographic artistry and female empowerment this March as the PhotoVogue Festival brings its acclaimed exhibition, “Women by Women,” to South Korea as part of Vogue Korea’s annual Leaders event. The event, running from March 27–29 at Layer Studio 20 in Yongsan-gu, marks a significant expansion for the festival and underscores a growing global conversation around female agency and representation in the visual arts.
This year’s iteration of Vogue Korea Leaders builds on a three-year trajectory, evolving from the 2024 theme of “Woman Now,” which centered on female solidarity, through 2025’s focus on “Women and Function,” documenting the experiences of working women, to the 2026 theme of “Agency.” The event isn’t simply a showcase; it’s a platform for dialogue, featuring talk sessions with eight prominent women leaders on March 28th and 29th, offering insights into the challenges and triumphs of navigating their respective fields.
The groundwork for the festival is laid in the March issue of Vogue Korea, which profiles 17 influential Korean women. These include Nora Noh, recognized as the country’s first fashion designer, alongside figures from film, music, and modeling. Vogue Korea details how each woman’s story explores the deliberate choices and sacrifices made to define their own paths. Their narratives will be presented both at the Layer Studio 20 venue and within the magazine’s print and digital formats.
A Global Initiative Finds a Korean Home
The “Women by Women” exhibition, a core component of the PhotoVogue Festival, originated from a global open call launched last March. The initiative, as detailed on Vogue.com, specifically sought photographic and video work created by women, depicting women. This wasn’t merely about representation, but about reclaiming the power of the gaze. Alessia Glaviano, Global Head of PhotoVogue and Director of the PhotoVogue Festival, articulated the core principle: “expression is never neutral, and who makes the image still matters.”
The impetus behind the call stemmed from a perceived global rollback in hard-won freedoms for women, a climate where self-determination and the ability to shape one’s own narrative were increasingly under pressure. PhotoVogue’s response was to actively foster a space where women could define themselves through their own creative lens, challenging traditional power dynamics within the visual arts.
The Evolution of Vogue Korea Leaders
The Vogue Korea Leaders event has become an annual touchstone for conversations surrounding women’s roles in Korean society. Its evolution reflects a deepening exploration of these themes. The inaugural event in 2024, “Woman Now,” provided a broad platform for celebrating female solidarity. In 2025, “Women and Work” offered a more focused lens, documenting the diverse experiences of women in the Korean workforce. Now, with “Agency” as the guiding principle for 2026, the event aims to empower women to actively shape their own narratives and futures.
The inclusion of an archival photography display alongside “Women by Women” adds another layer to the exhibition, providing historical context and highlighting the evolution of female representation in photography. This juxtaposition invites visitors to consider how far the industry has come, and how much further there is to move.
The PhotoVogue Festival’s expansion to Seoul signifies a broadening of its reach and a commitment to fostering these crucial conversations on a global scale. As the event approaches, further details regarding participating photographers and the specifics of the archival exhibition are expected to be released by Vogue Korea. The event promises to be a compelling exploration of female creativity, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of agency in a rapidly changing world.
What do you think about the importance of female representation in the arts? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
