About Open Call

Tide

In its literal sense, a tide is a natural phenomenon: the rhythmic rise and fall of sea levels. However, it can also be understood more generally as the interaction of forces that act on the landscape and constantly transform it. This dynamic movement inspires the 21st edition of Getxophoto and serves as a starting point for a reflection on the status of images and their social impact.

Tide invites us to approach photography not as a static object, but as a practice in constant movement – one that shifts boundaries and moves beyond established limits. Images circulate, are reproduced, change context and meaning, appear and disappear, are archived and retrieved. They move between people, territories, and times and, when they reappear, often offer a different viewpoint or can be seen in a different light. They resurface in a here and now that is never quite the same.

A tide, moreover, can also be a current, a force that grows stronger and can change direction: not only an external force –social, political or cultural– that pulls us along, but also a collective impulse that we are part of and, at the same time, contribute to shape.

Getxophoto 2027 – Tide calls for proposals in the field of image-making –photography, video, actions, installations, digital art or other visual practices– that engage with these currents: projects that not only reflect collectivity but also help build it. We are looking for projects that make visible what had remained hidden, unsettle what seemed fixed, transform memory, or envision new connections, forms of action and collective resistance.

Cale Garrido

–Projects can be submitted in English or Spanish.

–This call is carried out in collaboration with Picter.

What winners receive

The three winning artists will benefit from:

–An exhibition or installation during the 21st edition of the Getxophoto Festival. Production costs will be covered by the organisation.

–A fee of €500 for their participation in the Festival.

–Accommodation for two nights during the Opening Week plus travel support (up to €150).

–Media coverage.

Judging criteria

An international jury will decide on the winning projects by mutual agreement, taking into account artistic criteria, the conceptual development of the submitted work, as well as its relevance and appropriateness to the proposed theme. Gender parity and inclusion criteria will also be taken into account. The jury's decision will be final.

About Getxophoto

The Getxophoto Image Festival has been held in Getxo (Basque Country, Spain) for over 20 years. The Festival brings to the city different proposals from visual artists from all over the world, establishing a conversation each year around the proposed theme.

Getxophoto is characterised by the radical defence of public space (physical and online) as a meeting place, a place of mutual recognition and a field for experimentation, play and celebration in the face of its homogenisation and privatisation. For this reason, most of its programme is made up of open-air installations, highlighting the link between the image and the environment, while also generating a more horizontal and participatory relationship with the public.

Understanding public space also from a digital perspective, Getxophoto welcomes artistic projects that emerge from online spaces, works that approach digitality from a critical point of view.

–More info: https://www.getxophoto.com/en/