The press conference of the 25th Pingyao International Photography Exhibition was held on the 18th at the Pingyao Film Palace Forum Space. Zhang Guotian, the artistic director of Pingyao International Photography Exhibition, introduced that more than 5000 photographers from 34 countries and regions around the world and 25 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country participated in this exhibition, with a total of over 20000 works on display. This exhibition will open on September 19th in Pingyao Ancient City, which has a history of 2800 years. The theme of the exhibition is "Breaking through Boundaries, Seeing the Future with Intelligence", aiming to use photography as a medium to respond to the mission of technological change and global communication in the current era of artificial intelligence and digital image reshaping. This exhibition consists of 15 units covering five major sections: exhibition, selection, trading, activities, and universities, covering image creation, market operation, professional selection, and academic exchange. The exhibited works cover multiple categories such as social life, natural scenery, and artistic concepts. At the same time, we also received submissions from students from 117 domestic and foreign universities, and collected more than 120 short videos, as well as over a hundred photography albums, handmade books, and more. The exhibition will introduce two new mechanisms. One is to establish a gallery council, which will attract domestic and foreign galleries and art institutions with curatorial capabilities and market experience to participate, promoting the deep integration of artistic value and commercial value. The second is to upgrade the college exhibition unit to a college section and establish a "College Council" and "College Academic Committee", with representatives from universities participating in academic theme discussions and exchanges, promoting cooperation between universities and the sustainable development of photography education. The first college council will be chaired by Shenyang City University. To highlight the unique value of photography as an important medium for cross-cultural communication and showcase the breadth and depth of global image creation, this exhibition invites photography masters Stefanie Schneider and Clare Marie Bailey to participate. Through Polaroid photography, they reflect on the charm of images, which aims to help people rediscover photography and emphasize a return to its essence in a rapidly developing era. At the same time, through the spatial planning of the exhibition, it has aroused attention and reflection on the language and phenomena of image ontology both inside and outside the industry, and strengthened the global influence and cultural inclusiveness of Pingyao International Photography Exhibition. This exhibition will also upgrade the "PIP Curator Training Program" and carry out two-stage curatorial training and practice in Pingyao and Botrop, Germany with an international perspective, achieving "dual city linkage" and creating a cross-border dual city curatorial space. This year's College Photography Education Forum will highlight "VR virtual image scenes" in the context of the intelligent era, integrating optical motion capture systems with multimedia and short video exhibitions to create a new on-site experience space that combines real-life shooting and virtual imaging. (New Society)