OpenWalls Spotlight 2025

One body of work and three single images will be selected and exhibited at Salon Matador, Galerie Huit Arles, a 17th-century art space, during Les Rencontres d’Arles in July 2025.

Overview

OpenWalls Spotlight, in partnership with WePresent and Galerie Huit Arles, is an international photography award which offers one series winner and three single-image winners the opportunity to exhibit their work in the prestigious and historic Galerie Huit Arles.

Practical Info

This edition's theme, Traditions in Transition, delves into the evolving interplay between heritage and contemporary life. This theme invites photographers to capture the delicate balance between preserving tradition and adapting to modern influences. Whether it’s the subtle changes in cultural attire, the fusion of ancient rituals with new technologies, or the transformation of communal spaces, these images will tell compelling stories of resilience, adaptation, and the ever-shifting identity of cultures in the face of modernity.

Applicants can submit up to 10 single images or 1 series. All Full Access and Digital Access members can claim free entry to OpenWalls Spotlight but entries may also be purchased from the entry website. 

OpenWalls Spotlight will be exhibited at a 17th-century mansion and artspace Galerie Huit Arles, coinciding with Les Rencontres d’Arles, the photography industry’s acclaimed annual festival in July 2025. Additionally, selected artists will be featured in 1854.photography and will have their work shared with national and international press list. The winner of the Stories category will also receive travel (up to £500) and accommodation to attend the private view of the exhibition.

This year’s panel includes Dalia Al-Dujaili (Online Editor, British Journal of Photography), Julia De Bierre (Director, Galerie Huit Arles), Holly Fraser (Editor-in-chief, WePresent), Ken Grant (Photographer, Curator, Writer), Tosin Adeosun (Curator and Fashion Historian), and Daphne Chouliaraki Milner (Culture Director, Atmos).

About WePresent

WePresent is WeTransfer’s arts platform. In the very beginning, their small team commissioned artists from all over the world to make WeTransfer wallpapers. Feeling it was a shame to show the artists’ work without giving any information about the creative behind it, they launched a blog called This Works to publish articles about the artists they love. WePresent's mission is to be the most representative creative site on the internet. To date, they have worked with more than 1000 artists from over 100 countries.

About Galerie Huit Arles

Galerie Huit Arles is situated in a 17th century mansion in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Arles, France. The Provencal town is renowned for its Roman monuments, world-class museums, the painter Vincent Van Gogh, the Luma Foundation, and prestigious Arts Festivals. Founded in 2007 Galerie Huit Arles has acquired a solid reputation for the careful selection of its artists – both established and emerging – and the quality of its hangings and installations. Exhibitions are curated either independently or in collaboration. Partners have included: The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Factum Arte Madrid, The British Journal of Photography, City Hall Kuala Lumpur, and Galerie SIT DOWN, Paris.

About British Journal Of Photography

Through the lenses of world-class photographers, British Journal of Photography explores rich and timely stories of art, culture, politics and society. BJP sets the bar for photographic journalism — and has done ever since writers like Arthur Conan Doyle and George Bernard Shaw first graced our pages in the 1800s.