About the festival

Copenhagen Photo Festival (CPF) 2027 is showcasing an artistically and conceptually ambitious programme that celebrates creativity and experimentation within photography and lens-based art, and aims to build bridges between fine art and documentary photography.

The festival takes place in the center of Copenhagen as well as at collaborating galleries, museums and cultural institutions in Copenhagen and southern Sweden. Throughout the festival, photography is on the agenda through exhibitions, networking programs, workshops, talks, photobook market and more. 

The open call

The open call is for artists and photographers who want to break new ground and challenge the idea of what photography is and can be, now and in the future. The winners of the open call will get the opportunity to present their project at Copenhagen Photo Festival 2027.

Copenhagen Photo Festival’s featured solo exhibitions aims to expand the boundaries of exhibiting photography and focus on sustainable development, not least in relation to the specific place the festival is situated, but also with regards to the materiality of displaying photography, as well as presenting new perspectives and emerging talents. 

In total 10 projects are selected. 3-5 of them will be solo exhibitions and the others will be announced as Selectees. All ten shortlisted artists/photographers will be invited for an interview with the CPF in the fall of 2026 as a final selection round before the jury decides on the lineup for 2027. 

As a solo artist you will work in close collaboration with the curatorial team about the planning of the exhibition. If you are selected for a solo exhibition we have a sharp focus on promoting your work and exhibition on all our platforms and social media channels. But we also aim to create an on site activity program that revolves around your work through relevant activities, e.g. workshops, guided tours and/or talks. As a selected solo artist we expect you to participate in the activities program created around you and your work. 

In line with festival values the artist should be prepared to think creatively and experimentally in terms of the hangings and/or installations of the works, as it is a core value for the festival to create exhibitions that are true to the festival format and interact engagingly or even surprisingly or contrastfully with the theme, the project itself and the surroundings it will be presented within. 

Theme 2027 · 'Frie hænder | Free Hands'

What does it mean to have free hands at a time when the gap between rich and poor, between those in power and ordinary people, continues to widen? In some places, freedom is taken for granted. Elsewhere, it is a daily struggle.

Technological upheaval, authoritarian currents and violent conflicts are challenging our understanding of freedom. At the same time, we are bombarded with information and presented with more choices than ever before – while technologies increasingly serve us and automate our everyday lives.

In Danish, the expression ‘frie hænder' means having the unlimited freedom to act, to make your own decisions and shape your own path. Historically, such freedom was the privilege of the few rather than a universal human right. Yet in 2026, our freedom to act remains under pressure, and democracy is in global decline. This is why we have chosen Free Hands as the theme for the coming festival. To have free hands is to be able to shape your own life and express your opinions without fear of censorship or punishment.

But free hands also refers to artistic freedom in a very literal way: the freedom to create uncensored work, to interpret worldviews, values, beliefs, emotions and dreams without constraint. To dare take new paths at the risk of getting lost. To improvise and sketch freehand without knowing the result in advance.

Photography has always been about the human gaze and the human imprint. About choosing what to reveal and what to leave out. At a time when images are increasingly produced automatically, questions of the human touch, intention and presence have become more relevant than ever. The work of the hand is inherently human – it is imperfect, but also unique.

Free hands are not only a gift. It also carries doubt, responsibility and risk. When nothing is decided for us anymore, we must choose our own direction. Free hands can create new possibilities – but they can also confront us with the abyss of freedom.

New technologies can free us from routine tasks and open up new creative possibilities. But what happens to our judgement, our hands and our way of seeing when we entrust more of our work to machines? As technology enters our most intimate sphere, the human imprint becomes increasingly significant. We seek authenticity, presence and the human being behind the image.

With the theme Free Hands, we invite artists and audiences alike to break free from old patterns – both literally and metaphorically – and to explore what free hands do to us as human beings: when we take freedom of action for granted, and when we are forced to fight for it.

Judging criteria

As a solo artist at Copenhagen Photo Festival you are selected as one of the headliners of our festival. 

We urge applicants to reflect on and propose how the materiality of the work can be presented, produced or designed in a sustainable way. 

You can submit your application in English or Danish. 

See examples of the exhibitions of the open call winners from previous years in our artist archive: 

https://copenhagenphotofestival.com/artist-archive/

What exhibitors receive

With a solo exhibition at Copenhagen Photo Festival, your work will receive international exposure on a plethora of platforms giving you a chance to connect with other art and photography professionals. Artists selected for a solo exhibition will more specifically receive: 

• A solo exhibition at the festival centre in the heart of Copenhagen covered by Copenhagen Photo Festival 
• € 537 fee as a festival participant. 
• € 400 support for travel to and accommodation in CPH (for international photographers)
• €134 support for food and local transport
• A permanent feature on the CPF website
• A targeted PR- and marketing strategy for your exhibition on Copenhagen Photo Festival’s communication platforms
• The possibility to meet and make contact with other exhibitors, curators and professionals during your stay in Copenhagen

As a Selectee you will receive: 

• A digital screening of your project at the festival centre in the heart of Copenhagen organized by Copenhagen Photo Festival 
• € 200 fee as a Selectee. 
• A permanent feature on the CPF website
• Free access to the festival’s opening days

Requirements and Participation

• The application must include a biography and a CV.
• Applicants must present a project description of up to 3000 characters that explains the finalized concept.
• The concept must be related to the overarching theme of ‘Frie hænder | Free Hands’
• The project description must outline the concept of your project: The expected number of works, the format and material of the works, if AV equipment is needed and if the project has been exhibited before (see terms and conditions). 
• We accept if few works from the project have been exhibited in Denmark before, but not the project as a whole.
• You must present a minimum of 10 images that support the concept. 
• Image size: Minimum 1500px on the long side, sRGB.
• Copenhagen Photo Festival commits to providing equal opportunities, and we encourage people of all ethnic backgrounds, races, religions, ages, genders, disabilities, sexual orientations, or social statuses to apply.
• Applicants must be open to dialogue with CPF about the presentation of their work and the program activities surrounding it.
• We encourage exhibitors to consider themselves ambassadors of the festival and expect them to take part in activities both before and during the festival, both online and in person.
• We also expect exhibitors to participate in activities relating to their exhibition or to offer a public presentation during the festival. 
• Important: If you were selected as a CPF solo artist within the last three years, we recommend you to wait till next year to apply.
• Important: Projects that have been shortlisted in previous years will not be considered again. So we encourage you to send another project if you have been shortlisted for CPF before.

Programme Committee

The programme committee that will be selecting the Solo Artists for Copenhagen Photo Festival 2027 consists of highly qualified professionals, who have expertise within curation, photojournalism and art. By bringing together an array of perspectives we ensure that each applicant's work is considered and selected in regards to aesthetic, conceptual and journalistic aspects.