Welcome To My Unknown Award

MIA Photo Fair is pleased to launch a new call for artists, especially conceived for the fair by Erik Kessels.

Overview

MIA Photo Fair proudly unveils a new call for artists specifically designed for the fair by Erik Kessels – a Dutch artist, curator, expert in visual communication with a profound passion for art and photography, and PhMuseum Curae Head Professor. This award aims to engage emerging contemporary artists under 35, working with photography as an artistic language.

Practical Info

Theme of this first edition of the photography award for emerging contemporary artists is Welcome To My Unknown. Following what Erik Kessels described:"We live in times where lens-based technology is fully developed and in image making anything is possible. With the rise of artificial intelligence many images may become statistical hallucinations. The ‘how’ becomes less important, the ‘why’ takes center stage. Exactly this is why new ideas and the creation of original narratives in photography become essential. Unknown territories are ready to be explored and celebrated."

Up to 15 winning artists will have the opportunity to exhibit for free in an exhibition to be held during the 13th edition of MIA Photo Fair, scheduled (from 11th April to 14th April 2024 and with VIP preview by invitation only on April 10th) at MiCo Allianz, Milan. Additionally, participating winning artists selected for the exhibition will have the opportunity to be selected for the additional award organized by the following partner of the award: publication of the portfolio in the magazine Gente di Fotografia, which will be published in conjunction with the 13th edition of MIA Photo Fair. The artist will be chosen by Franco Carlisi (director of Gente di Fotografia) among the artists selected by Erik Kessels.

To be eligible for selection of the artworks, applicants must submit between 5 and 10 images images to present the project, a maximum 250 words description of the work, and the registration form completed and signed.

About MIA Photo Fair

MIA Photo Fair, conceived in 2011, is the most important art fair dedicated to photography in Italy. It offers a unique approach by presenting Solo Show and Group Show with a specific curatorial project. MIA Fair was created with the aim of highlighting the transverse role that photography has come to play between the languages of expression of the contemporary art system.