Open Call Shortlist 2023

THE FIRST FESTIVAL ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE SPRING

This year's open call shortlist is now official, and like a true harbinger of spring, it signals that this year's festival preparations are now really picking up speed. A total of nine artists have been selected from a strong field of several hundred photographers and artists from more than 40 countries, all of whom have engaged in the theme of 'rewilding'.

The shortlist reveals a widely branched field, where classic photo techniques, AI technology, 'rewilded' street photography and classic portrait photography with a green twist mix with critical climate narratives and images where stories about identity and belonging sprout in new ways.

We, Copenhagen Photo Festival, and the programme committee would like to thank all of this year's open call applicants. It has been a pleasure to experience the inspiring approaches to the theme and not least the diverse and innovative palette of photographic tools that the artists have used.

We look forward to unveiling the selected solo artists exhibiting at the festival this summer on March 1st.

See the all the shortlisted artists

_______

FORÅRETS FØRSTE FESTIVALSBEBUDER 

Årets open call shortlist blev i denne uge offentliggjort på vores hjemmeside, og som en ægte forårsbebuder signalerer den, at årets festivalforberedelser nu for alvor tager fart. I alt ni kunstnere er blevet udvalgt blandt et stærkt felt på flere hundrede fotografer og kunstnere fra mere end 40 lande, der alle har engageret sig i temaet 'rewilding'. 

Shortlisten afslører et vidt forgrenet felt, hvor klassiske fototeknikker, AI-teknologi, 'rewildet' street fotografi og klassisk portrætfotografi med et grønt tvist blander sig med kritiske klimafortællinger og billeder, hvor fortællinger om identitet og tilhørsforhold spirer på nye måder.

Vi, Copenhagen Photo Festival, og programudvalget ønsker at takke alle årets open call ansøgere. Det har været en fornøjelse at opleve de inspirerende tilgange til temaet samt ikke mindst den mangfoldige og nyskabende palette af fotografiske værktøjer, som kunstnerne har benyttet.

Vi ser frem til at løfte sløret for de udvalgte solokunstnere, der udstiller på festivalen til sommer, den 1. marts.

Se alle de shortlistede kunstnere her


OPEN CALL 2023 – Last Call for Entries

The deadline for submissions for our OPEN CALL 2023 is rapidly approaching and we are looking so much forward to exploring your take on this year's theme: 'Rewilding'. You can of course read much more about the call via the link below, but most importantly please note that:

The deadline for submission is 1 November!

In the video below Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen, our very own festival director and member of the jury selecting the winners of the OPEN CALL 2023, takes us on a tour of the festival exhibition park on Refshaleøen and introduces the open call, the overarching theme of ‘rewilding’ and some of the many possible ways to approach the theme. 

“What happens if we want to ‘rewild’ photography? Rewild photo journalism? The story? The snapshot?” - Festival Director Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen

Go to the open call submission page here

Learn more about the open call 2023 here


Open Call – Frequently Asked Questions

Photo credit: Christine Almlund

What are you looking for? What can be submitted? What’s the theme? What does it require? What can I win? Who can apply? When is the deadline? The deadline for the OPEN CALL 2023 is rapidly approaching, so to help you getting an overview of the process we have listed the answers to the most frequently asked questions below!

Who can apply?⁠ ⁠

The open call for CPF 2023 is for all photographers and artists who want to break new ground and challenge the idea of what photography is and can be, now and in the future. You can apply on your own or as a group – we are very open for fruitful and creative collaborations that make sense within this year’s overarching theme. So go ahead and grab your next door land artist or team up with an inspiring (landscape) architect, light designer or someone else who can challenge the medium of photography! ⁠ ⁠

What’s the theme?⁠ ⁠

Copenhagen Photo Festival's theme for the open call in 2023 is 'Rewilding' – understood in its widest sense. We have chosen the theme to connect with the celebration of Copenhagen as UNESCO’s World Capital of Architecture, the sustainability theme and to build bridges to our own exhibition park situated in the urban wilderness of Beddingen on Refshaleøen, which used to be an industrial shipyard building site. We look forward to being rewilded!⁠

What can I submit?⁠ ⁠

Photographic works or lens based projects in any form. We are looking for works within both the documentary tradition as well as within the field of art, so the span of genres is very wide. ⁠ ⁠We are looking for lens based works that engage with the theme in an interesting way. We very much enjoy projects that dare to challenge the viewer, the medium, the genres or the exhibition format itself.⁠ ⁠

What does it require?⁠ ⁠

You have to submit a project description and at least 10 images of your project. You can only submit one project and it must not have been exhibited in Denmark before. To participate in the call you have to pay a fee of €47. ⁠

What can I win?⁠ ⁠

The winners will get the opportunity to have their own solo exhibition in the heart of the festival's exhibition park, a fee, financial support to travel and accommodation, targeted PR via our platforms, networking opportunities and much more.⁠ ⁠

What are you looking for?⁠ ⁠

We are looking for lens based works that engage with the theme in an interesting way – within both the documentary tradition as well as within the field of art. We very much enjoy projects that dare to challenge the viewer, the medium, the genres or the exhibition format itself.

What are you looking for?⁠ ⁠

We are looking for lens based works that engage with the theme in an interesting way – within both the documentary tradition as well as within the field of art. We very much enjoy projects that dare to challenge the viewer, the medium, the genres or the exhibition format itself.

Read more about the OPEN CALL 2023


Make Photography Wild Again!

Dansk tekst nedenfor 

As a new initiative Copenhagen Photo Festival launches its Open Call 2023 under the overarching theme of ‘Rewilding’, which highlights sustainability and Copenhagen’s appointment as UNESCO’s World Capital of Archetecture in 2023. With the theme ‘Rewilding’ the festival encourages artists, talents and photographers to think ‘wildly’ and set photography free. The winners of the call wins a solo exhibition during next year’s festival in June.

An urban wilderness in the middle of Copenhagen may not be the most obvious exhibition venue, but the old Danish industrial giant B&W’s shipyard, which is placed on the island of Refshaleøen in the sweet spot between Copenhagen Contemporary, Michelin-Restaurant Alchemist and Reffen Street Food, has for several years been a green exhibition space and backdrop for Copenhagen Photo Festival.

The place is a historical piece of land in the midst of an industrial urban space which once laid ground to the building of ships. Since then rose hips, trees and wildflowers have taken over the former building site. 

Sustainability and ‘Rewilding’

In 2023 the festival focuses on the topical concept ‘Rewilding’: “with our theme we address a current agenda and invite artists and photographers to expand the usual exhibition conventions – glas and frame on white walls – and explore new perspectives on urban spaces and sustainability. On ‘Beddingen’, as the former shipyard is known, we have an exceptional opportunity to lay out an urban landscape to this challenge – and to rewild photography,” says festival director Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen. 

‘Rewilding’ 

The theme ‘rewilding’ is particularly relevant as Copenhagen will bring special attention to sustainability in 2023 as UNESCO’s World Capital of Architecture which will focus specifically on the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals. ‘Rewilding’ refers to a process where nature regulates itself without interference from humans and without serving human purposes 

The term has in recent years been used to propose solutions to some of today’s climate and biodiversity crises. But the concept also shakes established power relations and challenges traditional understandings of the relationship between humans and nature. The festival encourages artists, talents and photographers to explore this field and to interpret the term in its broadest sense.

Calling established and aspiring artists from all over the world

We encourage all interested artists, photographers and talents to apply for CPF’s Open Call 2023. The winners will be chosen by the members of our programme committee: head of the DMJX, Søren Pagter; curator and head of communication at Martin Asbæk Gallery, Patricia Breinholm; photo editor at the newspaper Weekendavisen, Mie Brinkmann and festival director Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen. 

Deadline is 1 November. Winners are announced on 1 March. The exhibitions will open during next year’s festival in June. 

Find more information about the open call here 

Start your submission for the open call here

______________

Gør fotografiet vildt igen! 

Som noget nyt lancerer Copenhagen Photo Festival næste års open call under ét bærende tema, der binder an til bæredygtighed og Københavns udnævnelse som arkitekturhovedstad i 2023. Med temaet ‘Rewilding’ opfordrer festivalen til at tænke ‘vildt’ og sætte den fotografiske kunst fri i naturen. Vinderne får deres egen soloudstilling under festivalen i 2023

Det er måske de færreste, der tænker, at et urbant vildnis på Refshaleøen er et oplagt udstillingsrum, men B&Ws gamle bedding, der ligger i smørhullet mellem Copenhagen Contemporary, Restaurant Alchemist og Reffen Street Food, har i flere år lagt græs, buske og udstillingsrum til Copenhagen Photo Festival. 

Stedet er et historisk stykke jord midt i Refshaleøens industrielle byrum, der engang blev brugt til at bygge B&W’s skibe på. Siden har det fået lov til at forvilde som en tidslomme blandt Refshaleøens rå arkitektur, hvor hybenroser og vilde blomster nu har overtaget den nedlagte bedding. 

Bæredygtighed og ‘genforvildning’

I 2023 stiller festivalen skarpt på det højaktuelle begreb ‘rewilding’  – eller genforvildning med et fordansket ord: 

“Med vores tema taler vi ind i en topaktuel agenda og inviterer kunstnere og fotografer til at udvide de gængse konventioner om glas, ramme og hvide vægge for at se nye perspektiver på byrum og bæredygtighed. På Beddingen har vi en enestående mulighed for at lægge landskab til den udfordring og gøre fotografiet vildt igen,” siger festivaldirektør Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen. 

‘Rewilding’ 

Temaet ‘rewilding’ binder an til, at København i 2023 er verdens arkitekturhovedstad med særligt fokus på bæredygtighed og de 17 verdensmål. Det betegner en proces, hvor naturen får lov til at regulere sig selv uden indblanding fra mennesker og uden at tjene menneskelige formål. 

Begrebet har vundet frem i de senere år som en løsningsmodel på nogle af tidens klima- og biodiversitetskriser. Samtidig ryster begrebet også ved etablerede magtstrukturer, der udfordrer en traditionel forståelse af forholdet mellem mennesket og naturen. Festivalen opfordrer ansøgere til at afsøge dette spændingsfelt – og til den videst mulige tolkning af begrebet.

Kalder alle etablerede og spirende kunstnere!

Alle interesserede kunstnere og fotografer opfordres til at søge. Vinderne udvælges af festivalens programudvalg, der består af lederen af DMJX’s fotolinje, Søren Pagter, kurator og kommunikationsansvarlig hos Martin Asbæk Gallery, Patricia Breinholm, Weekendavisens fotoredaktør, Mie Brinkmann og festivaldirektør, Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen. 

Deadline er 1. november, og vinderne annonceres 1. marts. Udstillingerne åbner til næste års festival i juni. 

Læs mere om vores open call 2023 her 

Begynd din ansøgningsproces her


Open Call for The Meitar Award

The Meitar Award for Excellence in Photography, a collaboration between PHOTO IS:RAEL and the Zvi and Ofra Meitar Family Fund, will be awarded for the seventh time this year to a photographer whose works demonstrate excellence in the field of photography. This year Copenhagen Photo Festival's director Maja Dyrehauge is part of the jury which also includes photographer Roger Ballen, Curator of C/O Berlin Foundation Kathrin Schönegg, curator at V&A Museum Lisa Springer and a host of notable professionals from the world of photography.

Grant and Exhibition

This year’s winner will receive a $14,000 grant for the publication of a solo exhibition at PHOTO IS:RAEL International Photography Festival. The winner will be announced in November 2022, and the exhibition will be shown in November 2023 at the 11th International Photography Festival. 

During the course of that year, the winner will work on the exhibition together with PHOTO IS:RAEL’s Chief Curator. Of the works submitted, the panelists will select 20 finalists for a group exhibition at the International Photography Festival, which will take place in November 2022 in Tel Aviv.

Registration, submission and deadline

All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of leading international professionals who specialize in the field of photography, art and culture. The judges will be expected to select a series or body of work which represents a distinct and compelling personal voice.

Submission deadline: July 18, 2022

Submission fee: Early registration 42$ (until July 1st), Late registration 54$

Photographs must be submitted via the contest website

For questions and additional information please contact: info@photoisrael.org

Panel of Judges

Dafna Meitar Nechmad, Director General, The Zvi and Ofra Meitar Family Fund

Demet Yıldız Dinçer, Photography Department Manager, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art

Ed Kashi, Photojournalist/Filmmaker with VII Photo Agency

Judith Guetta, Artist, Director of the Azrieli Gallery and the Yossi Nachmias Photo Gallery, Chair Department of

Photographic Communication, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem

Kathrin Schönegg, Curator of C/O Berlin Foundation

Lakin Ogunbanwo, Photographer

Lisa Springer, Curator of Touring Photography Exhibitions, V&A Museum, London

Ljudmila Stratimirović, Artistic Director and Founder of Kc Grad and Art Weekend Belgrade

Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen, Managing Director, Copenhagen Photo Festival

Rivka Saker, Chairman of Sotheby's Israel, Founder and board chair of ARTIS

Dr. Roger Ballen, Artist and Photographer

 

PHOTO IS:RAEL is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering dialogue via research and the highlighting of artistic and social issues through the language of photography.