“Simple Happiness” by Amir Behroozi (Iran). Taken in Iran, 2015
What does the word “joy” mean to you? This is a question that 56 photographers from 22 countries answered with their images for the third edition of the In Colors Project, which is themed around this concept. The resulting exhibition of 75 works offers a poignant glimpse into what joy looks like around the world.
In Colors Project: JOY is an initiative by Lumicroma. This Portugal-based online magazine and photography platform came to fruition during the pandemic as a way to promote visual culture. Now, it has expanded into a physical location, with JOY on view at the Centro de Arte de São João da Madeira in Portugal, as well as Lumicroma’s website.
Curated by Aníbal Lemos and Sandra Maria Teixeira, the exhibition shows joy in myriad forms. From a toddler playing on a rainy day to a man taking in a glacier under the Milky Way, these visuals give meaning to an abstract emotional concept. As a viewer, it’s fascinating to see which images resonate with our own personal feelings around joy and which others push us to reconsider our own definitions.
Scroll down for a preview of the exhibition and then head to the Lumicroma website to view all of the images and vote for your favorite.
The In Colors Project: JOY exhibition is a fascinating look at what this emotion means to photographers around the world.
“Untitled” by Juan Rodríguez Morales (Spain). Taken in Pontevedra, Spain, 2020
“Ode to Glaciers: Sentinels of Climate Change” by Luigi Vagamo (Italy). Oulettes, France, 2024
“Via Sant’Agostino” by Lucrezia Testa Iannilli (Italy). Taken in Palermo, Italy, 2019
“The Little Prince” by Ângela Berlinde (Portugal). Taken in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2004
“Christening of an Artisan Fishing Boat” by Paulo Monteiro (Portugal). Taken in Rabo de Peixe, São Miguel Island, Portugal, 1998