Photo Book Speed Date with Josh Aronson

Toronto, join us at CONTACT Photo on Thursday, May 14, from 6-9pm for the first international edition of Photo Book Speed Date. Bring a favorite photo book from home. Pair up. Share it in timed rotations. Think of this like a speed date, but for ideas; for all the art book lovers, photo book lovers, and zine lovers alike.

It's free! Just RSVP.

See you at the lab!

Photo Book Speed Date is a playful, artist-led program by Miami-based photographer Josh Aronson. Designed to spark connection through a shared love of photo books and art books, this lively exchange mimics the format of a traditional speed date—without the romance. Bring a beloved photo book or art book and share selected pages in quick, timed rotations, creating brief but meaningful conversations inspired by images, stories, and personal reflections. Read about Photo Book Speed Date in , on , and on 's Art Shows To Leave The House For.

Josh Aronson is a Miami-based artist whose work examines identity, community, and belonging. Raised in Miami, he discovered photography as a high schooler, later developing a practice that explores masculinity and Florida. Drawing from archival imagery and personal experience, he collaborates with Miami’s emerging arts community, casting local talent and inviting participants to perform in his images. Beyond his photographic practice, Aronson cultivates artistic dialogue through public programs. He founded Photo Book Speed Date, now in its ninth iteration, to connect photo and arts community through a shared engagement with photo books.

The CONTACT Photography Festival is an annual city-wide festival that began in 1997. It encompasses exhibitions, public art installations, and programs that feature the work of local and international lens-based artists every May. The 30th edition of CONTACT will take place May 1-31, 2026.

The Photobook Lab champions photobooks through a year-round reading room and store. During the Festival the Lab presents a roster of programs that investigate contemporary approaches to photobooks and more. The Lab is a young initiative that is being nurtured to grow into a rigorous and playful leader on photobook publishing, experimentation, and conversation.

at CONTACT here.

Photos by Richard Ramos from Vizcaya Late: Photo Book Speed Date with Josh Aronson (2025).

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Host or Publisher Josh Aronson & EXILE Projects