Deadline: October 4, 2026

Submission fee: €19 per image

Part of the Rotterdam Photo 2027 Open Call programme. Photographers may apply to multiple categories. Each submission is reviewed separately by the selection committee.

Submit your application

Selected works are transformed into large-scale public installations across Rotterdam Photo’s festival site.
Each image becomes a physical presence in the city, integrated into the container landscape of the festival.

-PVC print
-2.5 × 2.5 metres
-Installed on exterior container structures
-Full production covered by the festival
-Displayed in public space throughout the festival period

Selected photographers gain visibility in one of Europe’s most accessible large-scale photography festivals.

-Submission review by professionals from the photography field
-Large-scale outdoor exhibition in Rotterdam
-Featuring across festival/partner social networks and websites (LensCulture, Dodho magazine, All About Photo)
-Opportunity to participate in the Rotterdam Photo Talks and RP networking events
-Publication and Inclusion in the Festival program
-International press exposure
-Be part of the event with 10.000 + visitors in the centre of Rotterdam

Open to photographers and image-makers worldwide working across photography and visual media. The contest is open to professional and amateur International photographers. Entrants must be at least 16 years of age as of the date of entry.

Images are evaluated by a professional selection committee based on:

-Visual strength
-Conceptual clarity
-Emotional and spatial impact
-Relevance to the theme

Meet the Selection Committee 

Submit your Application

Deadline: October 4, 2026
Submission fee: €29 per entry if submitted before 7 September 2026, 11:59 PM CET (Early Bird). After this deadline, the standard fee of €35 per entry.

Part of the Rotterdam Photo 2027 Open Call programme. Photographers may apply to multiple categories. Each submission is reviewed separately by the selection committee.

Submit your application

Selected photographers will be invited to present their projects as part of Rotterdam Photo 2027. Each artist receives a dedicated exhibition space within the festival’s container village in the heart of Rotterdam, where their work becomes part of a large-scale public exhibition.

Alongside the exhibition, participants gain direct access to an international audience of collectors, curators, gallerists, and press. Artists are free to present and sell their work during the festival, and Rotterdam Photo does not charge any commission on sales.

-Professional review of submissions by experts in the field of photography
-International visibility through festival and partner platforms (including LensCulture, Dodho Magazine, All About Photo)
-Development of a personal exhibition project at Rotterdam Photo 2027 with curatorial freedom
-Participation in Rotterdam Photo Talks and networking events
-Inclusion in the official festival programme and publications
-International press exposure and media reach
-Exposure to an audience of 10,000+ visitors in the centre of Rotterdam during Art Week
-Opportunities for international exhibition exchange

The Projects category is open to photographers, artists, and visual storytellers from around the world. We welcome both emerging and established practitioners working across documentary, conceptual, experimental, and interdisciplinary image-based practices. Entrants must be at least 16 years of age as of the date of entry.

Applications are reviewed by a professional selection committee of photographers, curators, and industry experts.

-Artistic strength and originality
-Conceptual depth
-Relevance to the theme
-Suitability for spatial presentation in public space

Meet the Selection Committee 

Submit your application

Deadline: October 4, 2026

Submission: Free of charge

Rotterdam Photo is pleased to collaborate again with Amarte fonds to present the Dutch Talent Project Grant. This initiative gives emerging photographers the opportunity to create new work exploring the festival’s theme: Vibrance – The Pulse of a Living World. Selected artists will receive financial support, artistic mentorship, and a platform to showcase their projects during Rotterdam Photo 2027.

Part of the Rotterdam Photo 2027 Open Call programme. Photographers may apply to multiple categories. Each submission is reviewed separately by the selection committee.

Submit your application

Five selected artists receive a €3,000 production grant to develop their project into a work-in-progress exhibition at Rotterdam Photo 2027, with a dedicated exhibition space, curatorial guidance and international visibility through Rotterdam Photo and its partners.

Five artists will be selected to develop their project for a work-in-progress exhibition, presented during Rotterdam Photo 2027. The exhibition will be curated in collaboration with a guest curator and will be on view during Rotterdam Art Week, from 17-21 March 2027.

The selected photographers can expect the following:
– A grant of €3.000 to develop their project.
– Coaching and artistic guidance.
– Participation in Rotterdam Photo Talks and networking events.
– Video profiles documenting the artists and their process, shared via YouTube and social media.
– Publication and inclusion in the official festival programme.
– Long-term representation and promotion by Rotterdam Photo, consisting of continued visibility across our website, social media channels, and future festival – communications beyond the 2027 edition.

This open call category is open to applicants who are based in the Netherlands, currently studying there, or have completed their education in the Netherlands. Eligible applicants are:

– Third- and fourth-year photography students at an art academy.
– Recent alumni (since 2022) of photography or related visual arts programmes.
– Self-taught photographers with a maximum of five years of professional experience.

Please note: Projects developed during studies are eligible, provided they are further expanded or deepened outside the academic context.

A selection committee consisting of professional experts selected by both Amarte and Rotterdam Photo will review the submissions and select five artists. The selection will be based on artistic quality and the relevance or urgency of the project proposals.

The jury will assess on the following criteria:

– Artistic quality: whether the work is visually compelling, well executed, and innovative.
– Conceptual clarity: the effectiveness of visual communication in conveying conceptual ideas.
– Resonance: the extent to which the work connects to broader personal themes or urgent societal issues.
– Thematic relevance: the strength with which the work reflects Vibrance – The Pulse of a Living World.

Meet the Selection Committee

Submit your Application