OPEN CALL – BOLD BALTONORDIC DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY

Bold BaltoNordic Documentary Photography (BBNDP) invites documentary photographers and visual storytellers from the Nordic and Baltic Sea countries to submit projects for its inaugural 2026–2027 exhibition programme.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The thematic focus of the initiative and open call is Bold Humanism. If your work looks closely at how people live, what they value, or how they appear in the world, it belongs here.

We live in a time of social fragmentation, political uncertainty, and relentless media noise. In this landscape, the act of looking closely at people (including the arist itself) with patience, curiosity, and ethical clarity has never been more necessary. Not only in the difficult and the urgent, but equally in the absurd, the tender, the ironic and the everyday.

We are looking for documentary work that treats humanism not only as a feeling, but as a way of approaching visual practice. Projects that resist superficiality. Work that earns its closeness through long-term commitment and/or in a deeper connection, whether it confronts directly or observes quietly. Whether it carries the weight of the world or finds its meaning in a single overlooked human situation. Storytelling that is open to contradiction, to wit, to complexity, without losing its human core.

Both new and previously existing projects are welcome, provided they align with the thematic framework of the open call.

WHO CAN APPLY

We invite photographers, filmmakers, and visual storytellers working with documentary approaches who live in, are based in, or work within the Nordic and Baltic Sea region, including Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden. We welcome both emerging and established practitioners, and there are no age limits.

WHAT WE OFFER

– Participation in a curated group exhibition (4–8 projects per programme year)
– Curatorial dialogue and individual professional exchange
– A three-night stay in Tallinn during the exhibition opening
– Exhibition based in the vibrant Telliskivi Creative City
– Inclusion in a growing cross-border BaltoNordic professional network
– Opportunities for long-term regional and international collaboration

Beyond exhibition-making, BBNDP is building a sustainable regional platform that connects documentary practices across the Baltic Sea and the Nordics, strengthening our region’s visibility within the broader international cultural landscape.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submit the following materials to opencall@dokfoto.ee by Monday, 11 May 2026:

– Project description, max 500 words
– 7–20 images from the proposed project, or a link to video work
– Short biography, max 150 words
– Statement on ethical approach and working process*, max 250 words

Work in progress is welcome. Artists whose projects are still developing are invited to apply by submitting available materials and a clear description of the project’s current state, intended scope, and expected timeline.

The total file size of the submission must not exceed 25 MB. The work may be submitted as a downloadable file on a link or, for video, as a streaming link.

Selected artists are responsible for the production, printing, and framing of their exhibited works, unless otherwise agreed with the organisers.

* For example: How did you gain access to your subject? How do you navigate questions of consent, representation, and power in your work? We are interested in how you think about your responsibilities as a documentarian, not in perfect answers, but as an honest reflection as a human and artist.

Selected projects for the first edition will be announced on Friday, 19.06.2026.

The first exhibition is planned for December 2026 – March 2027. Exact dates to be confirmed.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

BBNDP emerges from over nine years of Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre’s curatorial, institutional, and international collaboration in documentary photography. In both Baltic and Nordic contexts, documentary photography communities are often relatively small when operating within national frameworks alone.

By creating a shared BaltoNordic platform rooted in Bold Humanism, we aim to connect photographers and institutions across borders, amplify more voices, foster meaningful regional dialogue, and strengthen the international visibility and competitiveness of photographers from our region.

For questions and further information: opencall@dokfoto.ee