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The Art of Abandonment by The Chateau Gallery turns its attention to the visual traces left behind when objects, buildings, and places fall out of use. With a deadline of May 25, 2026, this call is built around photographs that consider decay, memory, rediscovery, and the passage of time.
The contest will result in an online exhibition hosted by The Chateau Gallery from June 1 to July 1, 2026. Approximately 35 images will be selected for inclusion. The call is open to photographers ages 18 and older, and it accepts two-dimensional works made through traditional, non-conventional, conventional, or alternative photographic processes, as long as the work has a subjective analog or digital photographic base. For Deartline readers searching for an online photo contest with a focused curatorial theme, this open call offers a clear subject and a defined exhibition outcome.
Entries cost $15, with up to three images allowed per entry. More than one entry may be submitted. Juror notifications are scheduled for May 27, 2026, giving selected photographers only a short wait before the exhibition opens.
Prizes
The Art of Abandonment by The Chateau Gallery centers on exhibition inclusion, with selected works presented in The Chateau’s Online Gallery.
- Exhibition opportunity: selected works (approximately 35 images) will be presented online from June 1 to July 1, 2026.
- Sales option: participants may list work as Not for Sale, but priced works may be considered for purchase inquiries. The gallery retains a 30% commission on sales made through TCG and its agents.
- Future consideration: submissions are stored in TCG’s digital flat file for one year for consideration in current and future exhibitions.
For photographers looking specifically for photography contests with exhibition prizes, the central benefit here is online gallery presentation rather than a monetary award.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
There are no separate contest categories. The curatorial focus is abandonment: abandoned and rediscovered objects, places, locations, and structures. The theme asks what these remnants suggest about time, place, humanity, and what is left to decay.
The subject may naturally connect with architecture, documentary, or fine art photography, depending on how each photographer approaches the theme.
Dates and Entry Fees
The schedule for The Art of Abandonment by The Chateau Gallery is structured within a short timeframe, with submissions, selection, and exhibition taking place over a few weeks.
| Submission deadline | May 25, 2026 |
| Juror notifications | May 27, 2026 |
| Exhibition dates | June 1, 2026 to July 1, 2026 |
Entry fees are structured per submission:
- $15 per entry (up to 3 images included)
- Multiple entries are allowed
Merit-based and hardship fee waivers may be available for photographers in specific circumstances, including those living in countries affected by conflict or with lower economic indexes. Requests must be submitted directly to the gallery.
How to Enter
Photographers may submit up to three images per entry. Files must be at least 1200 pixels on the longest side and a minimum of 500kb. Images should be named using the format firstname_lastname_title-01.jpeg.
There are no restrictions on when the work was created. Artists should include print dimensions when applicable, unless the work is not for sale.
About the Jury
The selection is carried out by a rotating panel that includes past exhibitors, curators, editors, and professionals working across the arts and culture sector. The process follows a blind review system, with jurors evaluating each submission based on the image and its title, without access to the photographer’s identity.
Image descriptions are optional, though the gallery encourages their inclusion as part of the submission.
Why Enter The Art of Abandonment by The Chateau Gallery?
This call is structured around a precise theme and a defined exhibition format. The Art of Abandonment by The Chateau Gallery asks photographers to engage with abandoned places, objects, and structures through a visual language that may be documentary, conceptual, architectural, or fine art in nature.
The online format also gives the exhibition an international frame, with selected images presented through The Chateau Gallery’s digital platform. For photographers comparing the best online photography awards, the notable facts are the juried selection, blind review process, exhibition dates, and the possibility of sales inquiries for priced works.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the The Art of Abandonment by The Chateau Gallery has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Rules
Entrants must be 18 or older. Submitted images must be original and created by the artist. The gallery states that entrants attest their submissions do not infringe the copyright of any living or deceased artist. Work created by or altered with artificial intelligence is strictly prohibited.
Submissions are not accepted from citizens residing in Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Belarus, or Russia, in accordance with the gallery’s foreign compliance statement.
Copyright and Image Usage
Photographers retain all rights to their work. By entering, they grant TCG a non-exclusive right to reproduce submitted images in the exhibition catalog, on the gallery website, and for promotion on social media, with attribution whenever feasible. This agreement may be rescinded in writing at any time.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
