PhotoIreland Festival invites national and international artists and practitioners, including writers, researchers, curators, emerging and established, to propose works to be part of PhotoIreland Festival 2021, joining invited practitioners. The 12th edition will take place in Dublin in July 2021, with exhibitions and events running throughout the month.

Departure Point

Submissions and proposals are invited on the general topic of Food and the Politics of Food. The points of investigation may include, but are not limited to:

• Food and its industries: research, production, distribution, advertising, and consumption
• The environmental impact of food
• Food histories and traditions
• Colonisation and decolonisation of food (plants, animals, produce, diets, taxonomies, etc.)

We welcome proposals for:

• Lens-based artistic work and curatorial projects
• Events, including proposals for critically engaged food presentations
• Workshops, talks, and participative events
• Scientific research and relevant texts

Artistic and curatorial projects are invited from lens-based practitioners working within mixed media, moving image, technology-based, as well as other experimental practices, as much as those with a formal and traditional approach. Performative pieces, those requiring screenings, event-based pieces, or other non-conventional exhibition presentations are also encouraged to be submitted. We also welcome works created specifically for digital environments such as websites, social media, games, etc., as much as those that propose experimental crossovers of methodologies and technologies. In addition, we welcome essays, articles or other written works that engage with the subjects proposed.

PhotoIreland Festival pays appropriate artist fees and covers production costs and works with its cultural partners and grant aiders to contribute to personal costs relating to travel, accommodation, and subsistence, whenever required.

The submissions will be considered in context of the overall programme. Selected submissions will be proposed a role within the programme that could be part of the main exhibition, part of the event series, or other manifestations.

Application Process

• Completed Application Form
• Images or other relevant materials of proposed project sent via WeTransfer, Dropbox, or similar

Submissions deviating from the requested process are not considered.

The deadline for submissions is GMT midnight Monday 1st March 2021.
We don’t extend deadlines. Work submitted after the deadline is not considered. Give yourself plenty of time to deal with last minute questions and technical errors. If you’re not based in Ireland, please remember to consider time difference.

Schedule

Deadline midnight GMT Monday 1st March 2021
Confirmation of receipt within 48 hours
Communication of Results mid to late March 2021
Announcement of Artists April 2021

FAQs

How many images should I submit and what are the technical requirements?
We ask for a maximum of 20 images per project to be submitted. All technical requirements are outlined in the application form and checked upon receipt of submission, so we ask all applicants to adhere to these, as otherwise you will be asked to re-submit the images.

My project is in progress, can I submit it anyway?
Yes, if the project is substantially developed as a concept and you feel it is ready for presenting in July 2021, we welcome you to submit it.

I want to submit more than one project, do I have to send separate submissions?
Yes, separate projects will be considered as separate submissions. Please note, it is one form per project.

Is this only open to professional practitioners?
This call is open to practitioners of all stages whether emerging, mid-career, or professional.

Will you communicate results with all artists?
Yes, we will communicate results with all who have submitted and keep you informed.

How may the COVID situation affect next year’s festival?
Rest assured, as was the case of PhotoIreland Festival 2020, we will always work hard and effectively to adapt to whatever challenges may present themselves, within reason, to prevent the cancelation of what we consider an important event in the Arts calendar. In 2020, the adapted programme still included all artists selected through the open call in various ways, beyond the traditional exhibition format.

Further queries can be emailed to pif.submissions@gmail.com