International Congress of Mathematicians 2026
Nine Days of Conference Coverage
Emmages served as primary photographer for nine days of coverage supporting the Simons Foundation at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center. From opening events through the closing ceremony, coverage documented prize announcements, lectures, press events, exhibitions, book signings, and attendee engagement.
Daily selects supported communications throughout the congress, followed by a curated gallery of more than 900 images delivered within four days. Photographs later appeared in international academic and research publications, supporting continued coverage beyond the event.
At a Glance
- Event: International Congress of Mathematicians 2026
- Location: Philadelphia (Pennsylvania Convention Center)
- Coverage Duration: July 22–30, 2026 — nine consecutive days
- Event Scale: Approximately 5,000 attendees from the international mathematics community
- Commissioned Through: Sparks, supporting the Simons Foundation
- Role: Primary congress photographer
- Team Structure: Emmages-led coverage with opening-day support
- Coverage Scope: Ceremonies, prizes, press, lectures, exhibitions, receptions, and attendee experience
- Key Priorities: Named individuals, key moments, leadership, and visual continuity
- Delivery: Daily selects with a curated 900+ image library delivered within four days
- Use Case: Press, website, partner communications, reports, institutional archives, and future-event storytelling
9
Days
Pre-congress through closing
5,000
Attendees
Global mathematics community
1
Primary Photographer
Emmages-led coverage
900+
Final Images
Curated communications library
4-Day
Turnaround
Complete gallery delivered
The Event Context
ICM 2026 brought thousands of mathematicians to Philadelphia for the congress’s first U.S. gathering in four decades. Held every four years, the event combined scientific lectures, panels, exhibitions, and cultural programming with major international honors, including the Fields Medals.
Simultaneous sessions and shifting priorities required coverage across multiple rooms. Photography needed to capture the congress’s scientific significance alongside the conversations, connections, and attendee experiences that brought it to life.
The Communications Objective
The assignment had two priorities: timely images for event communications and a lasting institutional record. Teams needed photographs of prize winners, speakers, press interactions, and partner activity, often tied to specific moments that could not be recreated.
The final library also needed to capture the broader congress: scientific sessions, audience engagement, exhibitions, collaboration, and the attendee experience. The goal was a cohesive archive that supported publication during the event and remained useful for institutional communications afterward.
Primary Coverage Through Sparks
Commissioned through Sparks, Andriana Ortiz of Emmages served as primary photographer for coverage supporting the Simons Foundation. A second photographer assisted on opening day, when ceremonies, award presentations, and press activity created overlapping demands.
Emmages independently managed coverage across the remaining days, balancing scheduled sessions with new communications requests. The role required tracking priority people and moments while maintaining a consistent visual record throughout the congress.
The Approach
Coverage followed a detailed program plan while adapting to live communications requests. Priority went to moments that could not be repeated: award presentations, speaker arrivals, book signings, and key interactions. Wider coverage then captured audience response, exhibitions, networking, and the setting.
Clean stage photographs, readable event branding, candid exchanges, and wider views established both significance and scale. During scientific sessions, discreet positioning and careful timing preserved the room’s concentration while capturing expressive photographs, with visual consistency maintained across all nine days.
High-interest moments extended beyond the lecture stage, including Terence Tao’s book signing in the ICM 2026 exhibition hall.
Attendees explore a mathematics-inspired art installation in the ICM 2026 exhibition hall.
Managing Daily Coverage
Daily priorities were checked against the program, with early positioning for awards, press activity, and requested individuals. Coverage moved efficiently between simultaneous sessions, combining wider context with speakers and interactions.
Exhibitions and networking areas were revisited as activity changed, while ongoing reviews identified gaps in coverage. Selects were delivered throughout the assignment so communications teams could publish while the congress was underway. This process kept the visual record cohesive across a complex schedule.
Access, Proximity, and Trust
The communications team needed specific people, interactions, and program moments documented promptly. Emmages stayed close enough to respond while working discreetly within lectures, press environments, and receptions.
Careful judgment guided when to move closer, hold position, or give the room space. Consistent responsiveness built trust throughout the congress, allowing coverage to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining the quality and continuity of the final image library.
Delivery
Delivery took place on two levels.
Curated selects were supplied throughout the congress for active communications needs. After the closing ceremony, Emmages completed a founder-led edit and organized the full body of work into a structured library of more than 900 final images.
The complete gallery was delivered within four days—well inside the contracted seven-day timeline—giving the communications team both rapid access and a coherent long-term archive.
Ongoing Workflow
Daily curated selects for communications use
Final Gallery
900+ edited and organized images
Final Turnaround
Delivered within four days of the congress closing
Intended Usage
Press, web, partner communications, reports, archives, campaigns, and future-event promotion
International Publication & Institutional Use
The value of the image library continued after delivery.
Plus, part of the University of Cambridge’s Millennium Mathematics Project, used Emmages photographs in its article “ICM 2026: A postcard from Philadelphia”. The coverage included images of the four Fields Medalists, the West Philadelphia Orchestra, and attendees engaging with the congress’ mathematical art exhibition.
The Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences also published ICM imagery in its article and gallery “ICM 2026: MPI MiS at the World’s Leading Mathematics Congress”, including photographs credited to Emmages/Simons Foundation.
These uses demonstrated the library’s broader communications value. The photographs were not limited to an event recap; they became part of how international institutions documented their relationship to the congress and communicated the experience to their own audiences.
Impact
Daily selects supported timely coverage of prize announcements, speakers, and major program moments. The final library of 900+ images provided a lasting record of scientific programming, public engagement, exhibitions, and attendee experience.
Selected photographs were published by the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences and Plus Maths, part of the University of Cambridge’s Millennium Mathematics Project. Credited to Emmages and the Simons Foundation, the photographs extended the work’s international reach beyond the congress.
Reflection
ICM 2026 marked a milestone for Andriana: leading nine consecutive days of international conference coverage. The assignment demanded endurance, organization, and sound judgment to balance specific communications requests with a complete visual record.
It demonstrated Emmages’ ability to sustain consistent coverage across a complex program and reinforced the principle behind the work: understand the room, stay close to what matters, and create photographs that remain useful after the event ends.
Need Conference Photography That Keeps Working?
Emmages documents conferences, leadership events, and institutional gatherings with a discreet, embedded approach designed for real communications use. From daily selects to complete recap libraries, coverage is built to support visibility, credibility, and long-term narrative value.
