Fotofestival Lenzburg 2026 Open Call

Three projects will be exhibited during the 7th edition of the Festival in Switzerland. One of them will be awarded a prize sum of CHF1,500, a solo show at Artphilein Focus in Paradiso/Lugano, and a publication in the Artphilein Cahier series.

Overview

Fotofestival Lenzburg invites artists to submit photographic projects and images for the next edition of the festival in Switzerland to be held in Lenzburg and Aarau, Switzerland, between May and June 2026.

Renowned photographers and emerging talents from all over the world are invited to share their interpretation of the Festival theme by submitting a project or single images. Forever Happy explores the contradictions of happiness in contemporary society—both its fleeting nature and its pervasive influence. In a world where happiness is marketed as a commodity, shaped by social media, consumer culture, and personal expectations, how do images construct, reinforce, or challenge our understanding of joy? Can photography capture the essence of happiness, or does it merely reflect its impermanence and societal constraints?

Amidst posts on social media presenting quick-fix infographics for a happier life and a wealth of consumer items promising happier selves and healthier bodies, the quest for a happy life seems under the contemporary pressures both a naïve dream and constant medical and shopping cart imperatives. Who gets (or should we say, afford?) to be happy is an increasingly debated question which unravels in both positive emotions and positions of oppression.

And yet, happiness is a feeling immediately understood, instinctively so, if conceptually elusive. It is as culturally constructed, as socioeconomically contingent, as it is felt and expressed with and inside the body.

For this reason, happiness lends itself to meander within multiple categories of feeling, spanning pleasure, well-being, and satisfaction, if only for a moment: happiness is ephemeral, but must be constantly repeated. What excites us about the search for happiness in ourselves, in objects, in other people?

It is perhaps its fleetingness that moves and forces us to research happiness and capture it, to snap it in a flash like a photograph and make it last forever. And photographs of happiness are abundant, from smiles beaming in the vernacular photography of family albums to the images of advertisement: photography offers incisive and immediate languages to represent and deconstruct our understandings of happiness.

During the festival, the town transforms into an open-air photo gallery, featuring multiple exhibitions, photobook corners in cafés, and a diverse program of events, including portfolio reviews, workshops, and talks with photographers and experts. This unique setting creates an intimate and welcoming atmosphere, inviting a wide audience to immerse themselves in both professional and artistic photography.

Practical Info

The competition is open to all types of photography and aimed at Swiss and international photographers and artists working with photography and still images. Projects may have already been produced and exhibited but must be recent (no older than 2021). Applications must include a biography, a CV, and a project description. Plus, project submissions must include 5 to 15 images, while single images submissions must consist of 1 to 3 files per project.

Three projects will be exhibited during the 7th edition of the Festival. One of the exhibited projects will be awarded with the Jury Award sponsored by the Artphilein De Pietri Foundation, with a prize sum of CHF1,500, will be showcased at Artphilein Focus in Paradiso/Lugano, and will be selected for publication in the Artphilein Cahier series. Plus, the selected artists will be offered accommodation in Lenzburg for the opening weekend in May 2026.

From the Single Images open call, the jury will select 40 outstanding photographs to be displayed in the shop windows of Lenzburg's historic city center. Each image will be assigned a unique number, allowing the public to vote for their favorite via a QR code. This open-air exhibition is part of the Public's Award, which grants a prize of CHF1,000 to the winning image.

The selection committee is composed of Amelie Schüle (Director of Photoforum Pasquart), Anna Konstantinova (Curator in Contemporary Photography and Gallery Manager), Arianna Rinaldo (Independent Curator, Photo Consultant, and Freelance Photo Editor), Caterina De Pietri (Director of Artphilein Foundation), Margherita Guerra (Founder and director of Fotofestival Lenzburg), and Tim Clark (Editor in Chief of 1000 Words and Artistic Director of Fotografia Europea).

About Fotofestival Lenzburg

The Fotofestival Lenzburg is a lively photo event dedicated to contemporary photography, which takes place bi-annually in the history-rich town of Lenzburg in the heart of Switzerland. For one month it brings together participating experts and an interested public. Lenzburg’s proximity to the art metropolises of Zurich and Basel attracts regional and international participants and visitors to the Festival. Every edition, the Fotofestival Lenzburg transforms its host town into an exhibition space dedicated exclusively to photography, presenting the medium in a wide variety of venues. With curated group and solo exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, portfolio discussions, lectures and accompanying events, the Festival presents various photographic positions to be explored. It also offers numerous opportunities to meet and exchange with a community of enthusiasts in an open yet intimate setting. The Fotofestival Lenzburg is a project of the Society for Photography of Lenzburg.