YEAST International Photo Festival

An international photography festival in the heart of Salento

The YEAST International Photo Festival is one of Southern Italy's most significant events dedicated to contemporary photography. Founded in 2022 in Matino, a charming village in the province of Lecce, the festival has chosen Puglia and the Salento region as an open-air laboratory to reflect on the deep connection between imagery, food, territory, and the environment.

A distributed model across Matino and Salento

The hallmark of YEAST is its distributed model: exhibitions are not confined to a single space but are spread across historic palaces, masserie, ancient walls, and town squares throughout the Salento area. Past editions have brought life to Matino, with the 17th-century Palazzo Marchesale del Tufo serving as the main venue, alongside Lecce, Gallipoli, Galatina, Castrignano de' Greci, and the Masseria Le Stanzìe in Supersano. It is a journey that invites the public to discover the hinterland and the coast of the Lecce province through the thread of photography.

Photography, food, and the environment

Each edition revolves around a theme linked to the relationship between nutrition, identity, and sustainability. Food becomes a lens through which to observe major contemporary issues: overproduction and waste, biodiversity, climate change, and lifestyle. Alongside the exhibitions, the program offers talks, round tables, guided tours, educational workshops for children and young people, and moments of conviviality, fostering a constant dialogue between international artists and local communities.

International guests

Over the years, YEAST has brought some of the most authoritative figures in world photography to Puglia. The 2025 edition featured the exhibition «Snack It!» by Martin Parr, the celebrated British photographer, hosted at the Palazzo Marchesale del Tufo in Matino. The festival also collaborates with international events such as the horizonte zingst in Germany and the Fotofestival Lenzburg in Switzerland.

A driver for the region

With over 20,000 visitors in 2025, YEAST has established itself as a tool for regional promotion and sustainable tourism for the Puglia Region, successfully attracting national and international audiences during the autumn months, well outside the peak beach season.

Organizers

The festival is promoted by the cultural associations BESAFE and ONTHEMOVE, under the general direction of Flavio & Frank and Veronica Nicolardi, with artistic direction by Edda Fahrenhorst. The event stems from the experience of the «Yeast Stories» project, dedicated to telling the story of Puglia's biodiversity and hospitality through images.