C/O Berlin Talent Award 2024 - Theorist

Since 2006, C/O Berlin Foundation has been promoting young fine-art photographers and photography theorists.

Overview

The C/O Berlin Talent Award is the only prize of its kind in Europe. It recognizes outstanding work in both photographic practice and theory. It is awarded annually in the disciplines of artistic photography (Artist) and photo-theoretical writing (Theorist) and is endowed with prize money of totally €10,000 (€7,000 for the Artist and €3,000 for the Theorist). C/O Berlin produces a solo exhibition with the award-winning Artist and a publication with Spector Books to accompany it. The task of the Theorist is to write an essay on the selected artwork and to conduct an interview with the Artist, both of which will appear in the book. Since 2020, the C/O Berlin Talent Award is made possible by the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung.

Practical Info

The C/O Berlin Talent Award’s central theme is New Documentary Strategies. The aim is to support and encourage a critical approach to traditional documentary narratives. To what extent does photography still function as a means of documentation? How has our trust in the medium changed through the use of “networked images”? What new narrative strategies are being developed to understand and remember the events taking place in the world around us? The work that received the C/O Berlin Talent Award 2024 in the Artist category addresses the rootedness of language and sign systems in colonial power structures. By combining past and present, the project sheds light on how Africa’s colonial oppression is still reflected today in the use of ‘Western’ communication systems.

The winners of the C/O Berlin Talent Award will be selected by two juries of experts acting independently of each other: while artists are nominated for the competition (the selection process has already been completed), photo theorists can apply for this Open Call with two already published text samples. C/O Berlin will select a winner from the submissions in collaboration with experts from the field of phototheoretical and photo-historical journalism.

Submissions in German or English are welcomed. Winning the C/O Berlin Talent Award – Theory means: an interview with the winner in the category Artist, writing an essay about the winner’s project , publication of these texts in an individually designed publication on the exhibition, prize money of €3,000, international presence and networking.

Applicants must be under 35 years old, must have experience in writing about postcolonial discourses as well as an interest in linguistics, communication and sign systems, and must have familiarity with the overall theme of the C/O Berlin Talent Award, New Documentary Strategies. Plus, if selected, they must have sufficient time to write the required texts until fall 2024, agree to the publication of their texts in the publication of the C/O Berlin Talent Award 2024, and willingness to have an artist talk with the winner during the exhibition period.

About C/O Berlin

C/O Berlin is an exhibition space for photography and visual media. As a nonprofit organization, C/O Berlin presents works by respected artists, supports emerging talents, and welcomes everyone to discover contemporary visual culture. As a place to exchange new ideas, C/O Berlin organizes Artist Talks, Panel Discussions, Film Screenings and guided tours, offering visitors a place to exchange thoughts on the exhibition program and engage in current debates on visual culture. Supporting emerging talents is an integral aspect of C/O Berlin’s mission. The yearly C/O Berlin Talent Award is the only prize in Europe to recognize an Artist and a Theorist aged 35 years old or younger.