PhEST Pop-Up Open Call 2024

PhEST, the international festival of photography and art in Monopoli, Italy, launches the fourth edition of the international contest together with LensCulture.

Overview

After a 2023 edition dedicated to human beings, in the year in which we celebrate 100 years of Surrealism, whose first manifesto was written in 1924 by André Breton, the 2024 edition of PhEST celebrates the omnipotence of the dream, the disinterested game of thought and explores it in all its forms. 

Artists are welcome to share their visual project that explores what The Dream means to them. The festival looks for work that is intense, intimate and profound. Any language, all media, still or moving images, from photography to illustration, collage, and animation are accepted.

Practical Info

Submissions need to include a project title, a brief description of the work in English (max 200 words or 1200 characters with space), and a mini biography in English including the applicants' age and where they reside. Artists applying for the Series category (still images, illustrations, etc), must send a minimum of 10 - maximum 20 images. Those submitting a video or animation (or any moving image file) must select the Singles category. Applicants will need to include the Vimeo or YouTube link in the relevant field, plus they must include the cover image of the video (a selected still or image that represents the work).

Seven prizes will be awarded by the international jury: an exhibition at the 2024 edition of PhEST, an exhibition dedicated to a participant residing in Puglia, Italy, at the 2024 edition of PhEST, a Leica D-Lux 8 compact camera with Leica DC Vario-Summilux lens worth €1,615 offered by Leica Akademie Italy, one voucher for the purchase of workshops or courses (except campuses) offered by Leica Akademie Italy, one voucher for the purchase of workshops or courses (except campuses) offered by Leica Akademie Italy, a publication on one of PhMuseum's communication channels, and a publication on one of LensCulture's communication channels. Moreover, a selection of the participating work will be projected in one of the inaugural evening events at the 2024 edition of PhEST.

The jury is composed of Maurizio Beucci (Leica Akademie), Laura Sackett (Co-founder and Creative Director of LensCulture), Giuseppe Oliverio (Artistic Director of PhMuseum), Arianna Rinaldo (Curator of Photography at PhEST) and Giovanni Troilo (Artistic director at PhEST).

About PhEST and LensCulture

PhEST is the international photography and art festival in Monopoli, Italy. PhEST is produced and promoted by the PhEST cultural association, with the support of the Puglia Region and the Municipality of Monopoli. PhEST was born in 2016 in Monopoli in Puglia from an idea of ​​Giovanni Troilo, artistic director of the festival, and Arianna Rinaldo, who is in charge of the photographic curatorship. With the organizational direction of Cinzia Negherbon. PhEST is photography, cinema, music, art, contaminations from the Mediterranean. A way to give back their own voice to the thousand identities that make up the sea in the middle of the lands, redefining a new imaginary.

LensCulture is a global community of photographers and industry professionals. As one of the world’s largest online destinations for discovering contemporary photography, LensCulture also provides some of the best opportunities for global exposure, international recognition, ongoing learning and creative development. LensCulture is committed to inspiring and empowering its thriving community of over 3 million, across 145 countries and in 13 languages around the world.