The PhotoArtDoc Documentary and Art Photography Festival invites photographers and artists from around the world who use the medium of photography in their practice to participate.
The theme of the 2026 open call is TRANSFORMATION (category: "State of Transition").
Concept
We live in a state of continuous shift, where uncertainty has become a basic condition of existence. Social and political structures are being reassembled; the boundaries between private and public, personal and collective, fact and fiction are being blurred. Today, transformation is not a short-term episode, but the environment in which our experience is formed.
Within this dynamic, the individual is forced to constantly adapt. Flexibility becomes a tool for survival, but simultaneously challenges the stability of identity. Where is the line between change and loss? What remains when former pillars collapse? And who determines which voices will be heard?
PhotoArtDoc 2026 proposes exploring the "state of transition" — a moment when old forms no longer function and new ones have not yet gained clarity. At the center of attention is the individual within these processes: their vulnerability, perception, and strategies of adaptation and resistance.
The organizers leave the field of interpretation open: from the reflection of personal and bodily experience to the investigation of global cultural and political transformations.
The visual statement must be based on photography
Methods: the use of montage, collage, multiple exposure, and other image transformation techniques is permitted.
Accompaniment: in the project description, the author must specify the methods and processes used in the creation of the work.
Relevance: projects created or completed between 2024 and 2026 inclusive are eligible for the competition.

Jury and Stages

Winners will be determined by an international expert jury

Michael Grieve: Photographer, writer, and educator; founder of Werkstatt: and ArtFotoMode, former deputy editor of 1000 Words Magazine.
Kateryna Radchenko: Curator and researcher; founder of Odesa Photo Days and 2023 World Press Photo Jury Chair (Europe).
Tadas Kazakevičius: Humanistic documentary photographer, World Press Photo winner, and Leica Oskar Barnack Award finalist.
Tatsiana Chypsanava: Documentary photographer focused on indigenous rights and environment; winner of World Press Photo 2025.
Adam Mazur: Influential art historian, critic, and curator specializing in contemporary Polish and international photography.

Shortlist: selection of up to 10 best photo projects.
Final: determination of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places among the shortlisted participants.

Technical Details

Cost: participation is free of charge
Definition of photography: an image obtained by registering light radiation through an optical system and fixed on a photosensitive material or a digital sensor.
Full information about the competition and terms of participation is available on the festival website.

About PhotoArtDoc

PhotoArtDoc is a photography festival positioned at the intersection of documentary and art. We aim to provide artists with extensive opportunities to explore and interpret contemporary events, phenomena, and trends. Our goal is to become an international platform for exchanging ideas and cultural practices, transcending borders, and fostering dialogue between photographers and artists of different generations. In a time of fractured cultural connections, the festival emphasizes the importance of continuity and participation in the international art scene.