Raccont’Arti - Contemporary Photography Award 2026 Open Call
• Castelfiorentino For the Arts
• Deadline: October 15th, 2026
• Theme: Contemporary Photography
• Prize: €3,000 + Exhibition in Italy + Publication
• Entry Fees: Free
• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE
"Raccont'arti" is an international open call, free of charge, dedicated to photographers and visual artists whose practices engage with the expanding possibilities of contemporary photography. More than a competition, the initiative serves as a platform for mapping current artistic research, bringing together diverse perspectives that reflect the evolving language of the photographic image and its relationship to contemporary society.
The theme for the 2026 edition, "Beyond the Visible: The Image of Absence," proposes an exploration of absence as a generative rather than negative condition. Artists are invited to consider absence as a layered intersection of memory, space, time, and experience—a presence revealed through traces, remnants, atmospheres, and invisible narratives. The call encourages projects that challenge conventional notions of representation, examining how photography can render perceptible what cannot be directly seen. Rather than documenting events themselves, submissions are encouraged to investigate the spaces left behind, where architecture, landscape, objects, and human intervention become repositories of memory and silent witnesses to change.
The award features two distinct categories. The Open section welcomes submissions from photographers and visual artists worldwide, while the Student section is dedicated to artists currently attending art schools or universities, as well as recent graduates who completed their studies within the last year.
The winning artists will receive prizes of €3,000 for the Open category and €500 for the Student category. Their works, together with those of eight finalists—four from each category—will be presented in a curated exhibition in Castelfiorentino, offering significant public exposure and opportunities for professional exchange. Additionally, the winning work in the Open category may become part of the collections of Ente Cambiano and Banca Cambiano 1884, recognizing its artistic value while contributing to the preservation of contemporary photographic practices.
Promoted by Fondazione Teatro del Popolo and supported by Ente Cambiano s.c.p.a., the Municipality of Castelfiorentino, and Centro Culturale Cambio, the prize seeks to encourage experimentation, critical inquiry, and dialogue, while strengthening connections between artists, institutions, and audiences within the international contemporary photography community.