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Raccont’Arti: Contemporary Photography Award 2026 approaches absence not as an empty space, but as something that can leave traces, tension and meaning behind. Under the theme “Beyond the visible: the image of absence”, the international open call looks at what remains when an action, person or event is no longer directly visible. Submissions are free and remain open until October 15, 2026.
The award is divided into Open and Student categories, with €3,000 for the Open winner and €500 for the Student winner. Both winners and eight finalists will take part in a group exhibition at CAMBIO Cultural Centre in Castelfiorentino, Italy. The Open winner’s work may also be acquired by Ente Cambiano and Banca Cambiano 1884. For photographers browsing Deartline’s photography contests, Raccont’Arti combines a specific curatorial theme with cash awards, exhibition and a possible institutional acquisition.
The brief is particularly suited to contemporary work that deals with space, memory, traces, time or the relationship between what is present and what has disappeared. Photography remains central, but the call also addresses visual artists more broadly. Its conceptual focus makes it relevant to artists working within conceptual photography and other research-led approaches to the photographic image. As a free photography contest, there is no submission fee for either category.
Prizes
The award has two main cash prizes, one for each category, plus exhibition opportunities for the finalists. The Open winner may also have their work acquired by Ente Cambiano and Banca Cambiano 1884.
- Open Category Winner: €3,000 cash prize, participation in the group exhibition at CAMBIO Cultural Centre in Castelfiorentino, and possible acquisition of the winning work by Ente Cambiano and Banca Cambiano 1884.
- Student Category Winner: €500 cash prize and participation in the group exhibition at CAMBIO Cultural Centre.
- Open Category Finalists: Four additional artists will be selected to take part in the group exhibition.
- Student Category Finalists: Four additional artists will also be selected for the exhibition.
In total, 10 artists will be included in the exhibition: the two category winners and eight finalists.
The Open winner’s acquisition opportunity is separate from the €3,000 cash award and is subject to the final acquisition decision.
Other Free Contests
Categories or Themes
The Raccont’Arti: Contemporary Photography Award 2026 edition has two entry categories. Both respond to the same curatorial theme, “Beyond the visible: the image of absence”.
- Open Category: Available worldwide to photographers and visual artists regardless of age, nationality or professional background.
- Student Category: Reserved for artists currently enrolled in art schools or who graduated within the previous year.
The theme asks artists to consider absence as a layering of space and time rather than simply a lack of something. Images may explore traces, relationships, residual signs or spaces after activity has subsided. The emphasis is on what an image can suggest beyond immediately visible subject matter, making the brief especially relevant to conceptual and fine art practices.
Dates and Entry Fees
The Raccont’Arti: Contemporary Photography Award runs from June through November, moving from the submission period to shortlist selection and a final prize ceremony at the end of November.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Submissions open | June 10, 2026 |
| Submission deadline | October 15, 2026 |
| Shortlist announcement | October 26, 2026 |
| Winner announcement and prize ceremony | November 28, 2026 |
Entry costs: Free.
The competition is international, with the Open Category available regardless of nationality or professional background. The Student Category has the additional education requirement described above. With no application charge, Raccont’Arti also fits within Deartline’s free to enter photo awards.
How to Enter
Applications are submitted online through Picter. Entrants should select either the Open or Student category according to their eligibility, prepare the project information requested by the platform and complete the submission before October 15, 2026.
The submitted work must be original and the entrant must own the necessary copyright and rights connected to the images. Previously published, exhibited or awarded work is not excluded solely on that basis.
About the Jury
The six-person jury brings together photographers, curators, publishers, educators and artists working across contemporary photography and visual culture.
- Vittore Buzzi: Photographer and educator whose awards include World Press Photo.
- Michele Palazzi: Photographer, World Press Photo winner and professor in the photography department at RUFA, the Rome University of Fine Arts.
- Chiara Ruberti: Curator and co-director and coordinator of Photolux Festival in Lucca, with previous experience at the Alinari Foundation.
- Tommaso Parrillo: Founder of Witty Books and co-founder of Jest, working as a publisher, teacher and art director.
- Franco Spina: Visual artist whose practice spans photography, performance, sound design, visual poetry and interactive technologies.
- Francesca Catastini: Photographer represented by OstLicht gallery whose publications include The Modern Spirit Is Vivisective and Petrus.
Why Enter Raccont’Arti: Contemporary Photography Award 2026?
Raccont’Arti is structured around a complete photographic project rather than a broad collection of unrelated categories. Every shortlisted artist is considered within the same curatorial question: how photography can describe something that is no longer directly visible. That gives the final exhibition a shared conceptual framework while still leaving considerable room for different visual languages.
The distinction between Open and Student entries is also meaningful. Emerging artists still in education or recently graduated have a dedicated route to the award, while the Open Category remains unrestricted by age, nationality or professional background. Both lead to the same group exhibition in Castelfiorentino, so the Student prize functions as part of the main curatorial program rather than a separate side competition.
The possible acquisition of the Open winner’s work adds another dimension beyond the €3,000 prize. Together with the exhibition, the €500 Student award and a six-member jury spanning photography, publishing, curation and education, it gives the competition a structure closely tied to contemporary photographic practice. Among Deartline’s online photo contests, Raccont’Arti is particularly relevant to photographers developing project-based work around memory, absence, space and visual narrative.
Rules and Copyright
If you are interested in participating in the Raccont’Arti: Contemporary Photography Award 2026 we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Rules
- Entrants must meet the eligibility requirements of either the Open or Student category.
- The submitted work must be original.
- Participants must own the copyright to their images and ensure that the work does not infringe third-party rights.
- Submitting an entry constitutes acceptance of the competition terms and conditions.
- Entries that do not comply with the rules may be disqualified.
Copyright and Image Usage
Photographers retain full moral and intellectual copyright to their submitted images. Authorship remains with the artist at all times.
Participation grants the organizers a non-exclusive, worldwide and royalty-free license to reproduce and display submitted work for promotional, educational and institutional purposes directly connected with the award. This includes exhibitions, catalogues, digital media, press releases and promotion of future editions.
Whenever an image is reproduced or displayed, the artist must be visibly credited. The standard attribution identifies both the artist and the award.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
