About

With its unique structure in Europe, the C/O Berlin Talent Award honors both artistic and theoretical practice, presented annually in the categories Artist and Theorist. Established in 2006, the award has introduced more than 90 emerging artistic and scholarly talents to a wide audience and will have its 20th anniversary in 2026 – an occasion to update C/O Berlin's supporting program for emerging talents with annually changing themes. Since 2020, the award has been made possible by the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung.

During the application process on Picter, you will be asked to upload an image. Unfortunately, this step is technically required. Please upload a placeholder image for your application. In the next step, you will be asked to upload your two writing samples as a PDF. Only the two writing samples will be used as the basis for evaluation by the jury

Winning the Award 

Winning the C/O Berlin Talent Award in the Theorist category comes with a cash prize of 5,000 EUR. In addition, the winner will be able to conduct an interview with the winner of the Artist category and write an essay on the artist’s project in the context of the overarching theme of "Body Politics". Both texts will be published in an individually designed publication accompanying the exhibition. The award provides international visibility and fosters an exchange between photography theorists and artists.

Theme

The theme of the C/O Berlin Talent Award 2026 is "Body Politics" – a term describing the interplay of power, institutions, and discourses that shape and control bodies, or make them (in)visible. In a time marked by multiple overlapping crises, the body resurfaces as a site of resistance, identity, and memory. What role do photography and lens-based media play in making these tensions visible and open to reflection? This year's theme invites applicants to explore the body as a political field, an archive of experience, or a medium at the intersection of the individual and society.

Eligibility

Are you an emerging photography theorist aged between 18 and 35? Does your research engage with this year's theme and address photography or lens-based media? Then apply with two text samples related to this year’s theme, “Body Politics,” from texts that have already been published. The texts must be written in German or English. Each sample may be an excerpt but must not exceed 10 PDF pages.

Application and Selection Process

The award recipient of the C/O Berlin Talent Award 2026 – Theorist will be selected by a professional jury in spring 2026. Please submit your application online via Picter between April 1–20, 2026 (12:00 CET). Please note that all application materials must be submitted in German or English to be reviewed by our jury.

Any questions?

Please feel free to contact us. Veronika Epple - talent@co-berlin.org