Le Stanze della Fotografia Foundation Open Call 2026

Le Stanze della Fotografia launches an open call for photographers under 30, inviting them to create a three-image project inspired by Horst P. Horst and his vision of elegance, fashion, and visual harmony.

Overview

Le Stanze della Fotografia Foundation announces its Open Call 2026 for photographers under the age of 30, inviting emerging photographic talent to participate in a creative initiative connected to the upcoming exhibition Horst P. Horst. The Geometry Of Grace, to be presented at Le Stanze della Fotografia in Venice. This opportunity is open to both professional photographers and passionate enthusiasts who are between 18 and 30 years old at the time of submission, and it aims to recognize and support young artists in the early stages of their careers. Participants are required to produce three photographs that form a narrative inspired by the figure and work of Horst P. Horst, taking as their conceptual starting point his statement: “Fashion is an expression of the times. Elegance is something else.”

Practical Info

To enter, photographers must publish the three required images on their personal Facebook or Instagram accounts, tagging the official Le Stanze della Fotografia account @lestanzedellafotografia and using the hashtag #opencallstanze26. In addition to the social media posting, the same photographs must be sent by email in high-resolution JPEG format to the address provided in the call, accompanied by a project synopsis, a brief biography of the author, and a signed release form as outlined in the official regulations. Multiple entries are allowed per participant, but only one award may be received by any individual contributor.

Jury will review and select between four and six finalists, and their names will be announced at the press conference presenting the Horst P. Horst exhibition, scheduled for 20 February 2026 at Le Stanze della Fotografia in Milan, Italy. The works will be exhibited at the venue until the exhibition closes on 5 July 2026, offering significant exposure within the context of the full show. Following this, the finalist pieces will also be presented at the Le Stanze della Fotografia booth during MIA Photo Fair in Milan from March 19 to March 22, 2026, where visitors will have the opportunity to vote on the works. At the end of the fair, three selected photographers will be announced, and their images will be specially marked inside the Le Stanze della Fotografia exhibition.

The jury evaluating the submissions includes Denis Curti, co-curator of the exhibition; Gert Elfering, owner of the Estate Horst P. Horst; Francesca Malgara, artistic director of MIA Photo Fair; Francesca Marani, Senior Photo Editor at Vogue Italia; and Anne Morin, exhibition curator and director of diChroma Photography.

About Le Stanze della Fotografia

Conceived as a genuine international centre for research and the appreciation of photography and the culture of the image, alongside the exhibitions in Venice and in the other Italian and foreign cities, Le Stanze della Fotografia offers laboratories, meetings, workshop, seminars with national and international photographers and master’s degrees, in continuity with the cultural design motivated the Casa dei Tre Oci to date, but with a drive and a vision that are even more international. With a view to this, various partnerships are developed with the most important players in the world of photography, such as the Magnum Photos agency, the Parisian Jeu de Paume centre, the Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie, and the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, to mention just a few.