PhMuseum Days 2026 Photography Festival Open Call

Present your work to exhibit at PhMuseum Days 2026, our International Photography Festival taking place on 1-4 October in Bologna, Italy. For the first time, the festival will happen jointly with Photobook Mania, the 2nd edition of our publishing fair, offering a complete platform to enjoy contemporary photography in person.

In an era of digital fragmentation and closing borders, ARCHIPELAGO is the theme of this 5th edition. It draws inspiration from the 2005 book by Massimo Cacciari with the aim to explore crisis as both an inherent part of our journey and an opportunity to discover new models of coexistence. We are looking for projects that explore or question the cultural islands of our time, offering a space for dialogue capable of integrating the other and opening new mental horizons.

Through this open call, at least 3 artists will be granted a solo show within the Festival’s new main venue, the historical Ex Ospedale dei Bastardini. Another project will be selected for a solo public installation on former municipality billboards. Both opportunities provide full production coverage, a €300 artist fee, and a contribution to travel expenses for the inaugural weekend. Plus, up to 40 single images will be chosen to take part in a sculptural, collective installation, while up to 20 works will be screened. As an applicant, you can claim a free festival pass.

We look forward to reviewing your applications - together with a jury comprising photographers who exhibited within the last edition - with the hope your work will contribute to explore the space of archipelagic thinking.

Artists exhibited in previous editions include Alejandro Chaskielberg, Andy Sewell, Angelica Dass, Brea Souders, 
Camilla de Maffei, Carla Liesching, 
Felicity Hammond, Gloria Oyarzabal, Leonardo Magrelli, Mahalia Taje Giotto, Marcelo Brodsky, Nikita Teryoshin, Pacifico Silano, Silvia Rosi, Taysir Batniji, Thomas Mailaender, Vasantha Yogananthan and more.