Helsinki Photo Festival: Call for Proposals

Helsinki Photo Festival is pleased to announce their fourth open call! Everyone from all over the world is invited to submit their work(s) in the festival theme of 2021: Fearless.

We challenge photographers and artists of all ages to share with us the connections you see with our theme, in imaginative, creative expressive interpretation. Artists will need to write as part of their submission an explanation of how their work fits with the theme.

What does it take to lose your fear? Can we live without fear or will it make us numb? Are the words courageous and fearless synonyms? Is the one full of fear and still moving forward being fearless? Does being fearless make you more heroic and adventurous? What role plays fearless in society and human history? In these times when all our life is changing in expected ways what does fearless mean? Can being fearless improve your life or will it ruin it?
In fact, there are many ways to interpret and what to associate with Fearless. What is yours?

We aim to select 50 artists' works to exhibit in solo- and group exhibitions during the festival period, July 7-September 30, 2021. Entries are handled by a judging experts panel.

What winners receive
Selected artists/photographers of the FEARLESS theme will be exhibited at Helsinki Photo Festival 2021 (July 7th to September 30th). The exhibitions will take place in art centres/institutions, warehouses, libraries, pop-ups, galleries, parks and waterfront areas in Greater Helsinki. Moreover, the festival's developed Nordic Village fosters emerging Nordic photographers. Since 2018, the talent platform Nordic Village has showcased to a broad audience over 20 artists from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Selected artists have been chosen for solo- and group exhibitions in Finland and abroad. All selected photographers have the great opportunity of being promoted to a broad, dedicated audience, critics and curators at the newest photo festival in Northern Europe.

Selected artists/photographers will benefit from:
exhibition exposure at the Festival's main exhibition in central Helsinki and at locations all around the capital including popup events
nordic photographers to be part of a Nordic Village exhibition format
opportunities offered for exhibition and publication through festival partners
inclusion in the Festivals marketing & PR campaign
inclusion in Festival's printed and digital publications
long-term Festival representation and promotion
an opportunity to participate in an Instagram Residency
publication and inclusion in the Festival programme
dedicated feature on the Festival website and online gallery
international press exposure

Finalists will be selected to have their work produced by the Festival for exhibition indoors and/or outdoors.

The Nordic Village at Helsinki Photo Festival is a concept with the focus to support emerging Nordic photographers and their work(s) to a broad audience. Until now, the Nordic Village has nominated and showcased +20 artists from all five Nordic countries and arranged artist-talks, nordic and international exhibitions and pedagogy events with support of Nordic institutions.