With well over forty productive years now behind it, the IKONA PHOTO GALLERY was founded in 1979 in Venice, near the Ponte di San Moisè by artist and gallerist Živa Kraus, who still is today its director.

IKONA GALLERY has developed projects in various places around Venice down to 2003, when the current gallery opened in the Campo del Ghetto Nuovo.

​

Over the years, its exhibition rooms have witnessed some of the greatest exponents of photography in the world, from Berenice ABBOTT to Gabriele BASILICO, Antonio and Felice BEATO, John BATHO, Bruce DAVIDSON, Adolphe de MEYER, Robert DOISNEAU, Giorgia FIORIO, Franco FONTANA, Martine FRANCK, Chuck FREEDMAN, Gisèle FREUND, Gianni BERENGO GARDIN, Mario GIACOMELLI, Erich HARTMANN, William KLEIN, Helen LEVITT, Lisette MODEL, Paolo MONTI, Barbara MORGAN, Carlo NAYA, Helmut NEWTON, Ferdinando SCIANNA and Rosalind SOLOMON.

​

Since 1989 IKONA GALLERY VENICE has also been an International School of Photography.