PhMuseum Days 2026 Photography Festival Open Call

PhMuseum Days is an international photography festival held in Bologna, Italy, and this open call invites photographers worldwide to present their work for the 5th edition, running 1–4 October 2026.

This year's theme is Archipelago, drawing on philosopher Massimo Cacciari's 2005 book to explore crisis as a catalyst for new models of coexistence. The call seeks projects that interrogate the cultural islands of our time, opening space for dialogue, otherness, and expanded thinking.

For the first time, the festival will run alongside Photobook Mania, a publishing fair, creating a fuller platform for contemporary photography.

What's on offer:

• At least 3 solo exhibitions at the newly reopened Ex Ospedale dei Bastardini in central Bologna. Each selected photographer receives a production budget of up to €2,500+VAT, a €300 artist fee, and travel support (€300 Italy / €500 Europe / €800 overseas).
• A solo public installation on eleven billboards along Via dell'Abbadia in Bologna's historic centre, in partnership with cultural association CHEAP. Full production costs covered, plus €300 artist fee and travel contribution.
• A collective sculptural installation at the Archiginnasio di Bologna courtyard (19 September – 8 October), featuring up to 40 selected images printed on semi-transparent tissue and mounted on scaffolding — a monumental visual maze running for three weeks.
• Screenings of up to 20 projects in the festival's main venue, shown daily throughout the festival.

All applicants receive a free festival pass. You can submit a body of work or individual images, and multiple submissions are welcome (each requires a separate application).

The jury includes photographers Tara L. C. Sood, Pacifico Silano, Rita Puig-Serra Costa, and PhMuseum Founding and Artistic Director Giuseppe Oliverio.

Results will be announced before June 2026.

How to apply: Create a PhMuseum account, upload 5–20 JPG or PNG images (max 20MB each, minimum 1000px on shortest side), fill out the submission form, and pay the entry fee before the deadline.