OPEN CALL 2026
PHOTO FESTIVAL
OPEN NOMINATION
Applications accepted until May 1, 2026 (23:59 CET)
PhotoArtDoc opens the call for submissions from photographers and artists working with photography. Authors from all over the world are welcome to participate.
The theme of the 2026 Open Call is TRANSFORMATION (nomination “State of Transition”).
We live in a state of continuous shift, where uncertainty becomes a basic condition. Political and social structures are being reassembled, the boundaries between private and public, personal and collective, truth and fake are shifting. Transformation is no longer an episode - it is a medium for shaping experience.
In this dynamic, individuals are forced to constantly adapt. Flexibility becomes a survival tool, but simultaneously calls into question the stability of identity: where is the line between change and loss? What remains when former supports lose their force? And who determines which voices become visible?
Transformation, transition, change – this is the subject of observation and research in PhotoArtDoc 2026. It is work with a state of transition, in which old forms no longer function, and new ones have not yet gained clarity. And at the center of attention is the human being within these processes: their perception, vulnerability, and strategies of adaptation and resistance.
PhotoArtDoc invites photographers and artists working with photography to express themselves within the proposed theme. The field of interpretations remains open - from personal and bodily experience to the exploration of social, cultural and political transformations.
The visual content of the project must be based on photography. Photography is defined as an image created by recording light radiation that has passed through an optical system, subsequently captured on a light-sensitive material or digital sensor. Authors may use montage, collage, multiple exposures, and other image manipulation techniques. In the accompanying text, the author will need to describe the processes and methods used in creating the project.
The winners will be chosen by a competent international jury.
In the first stage, the jury will shortlist up to 10 photo projects.
From the shortlisted projects, the winners will be selected with the allocation of places 1, 2 and 3.
WHAT WINNERS GET
- the winner's photo project (1st place in the open category) will be presented at the exhibition in Vilnius
— photo projects that took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the open nomination will be included in the final zine PhotoArtDoc 2026
- The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in the open category will be presented in the PhotoArtDoc Festival online gallery and on the partners' information resources.
ApplicationsFrom April 10, 2026
Deadline: May 1, 2026 (23.59 CET)
ФОТОКОНКУРС
OPEN CALL
OPEN NOMINATION
Applications until May 1, 2026 (23.59 CET)
Number of projects from one author - no more than 2; each project is submitted by a separate application form
Number of photos in one project - from 10 to 15
We accept projects that were created or completed between 2024 and 2026, inclusive
Photos should be uploaded as a single file in a ZIP archive
In addition to photos you should upload: CV of the author, project statement with a description of processes and methods used to create the project
Language of texts: any, with an obligatory translation into English
Technical requirements for photos
All images must be in JPEG format.
The image size on the long side is within 1500 pixels.
JPEG file size - no more than 1 MB, with built-in ICC profile.
AdobeRGB, sRGB or Gamma 2.2 grayscale are recommended. Not CMYK!
File names are in Latin letters and include the author's first and last name.
Image filenames should be accompanied by a sequential number, for example: lastname_N.jpeg.
In case of short-listing, participants are obliged to provide high-resolution photos for printing.
Contest entries can only be submitted by the author of the photo project.
Owners of the copyright retain their rights to their works. Owners of the copyright grant PhotoArtDoc contest organizers an unlimited non-exclusive right to use high-resolution photographs and works in open format for activities across all media, including social media, online and print publications, in relation to the contest, exhibition, annual publication, public archive, and all promotional and educational events for the PhotoArtDoc photo festival and under its auspices, without any compensation.
For all entries except award-winning entries, the copyright owners grant PhotoArtDoc Festival the non-exclusive right to use low-resolution photographs and open-format entries in a closed archive for its educational and research activities without any remuneration.
The copyright owners declare and guarantee that the photo projects submitted in the entries do not violate the legislation of any country, and that no third party can have any claims or objections regarding the rights granted to the PhotoArtDoc festival as specified above in the text.
All of the above contest terms and conditions are binding and PhotoArtDoc Festival organizers reserve the right to reject or exclude any entry at their discretion without any obligation to enter into further discussion of decisions .
The jury will be announced in the coming days.
Applications until May 1, 2026 (23.59 CET)
OPEN CALL 2026
PHOTO FESTIVAL
OPEN NOMINATION