Theme for Guest Room

Der Greif has invited curator, writer, and critic KJ Abudu to curate a Guest Room. Based between New York, London, and Lagos, his writings and exhibitions focus on critical art and discursive practices responding to the world-historical conditions produced by colonial capitalist modernity. For this edition of Guest Room, he has chosen the theme “Sounds of Resistance" for your submissions.

"I’m interested in practices that simultaneously approach the photographic medium and the global field of politics in a sonic register. In other words, how might civic antagonisms, silenced histories, anti-imperial solidarities, and dissident social ensembles be figured, visually and haptically, as atonal compositions, indeterminate frequencies, and insurgent speech-acts? I encourage submissions that ask what liberatory possibilities could be gleaned from considering the sounds of images alongside the sounds of politics."

This open call invites artists to think about the hidden connections between images and sounds, and how photography can tell stories of resistance, solidarity, and unheard voices. How can an image echo the struggles and aspirations of people and communities? What happens when we think of an image not just as something we see but as something we can feel or hear - carrying whispers of histories, protests, and untold truths? We welcome works that explore these questions in creative and imaginative ways. Both images and videos are welcome for submission, encouraging diverse approaches to storytelling and interpretation.

Why submit to Guest Room?

• Be discovered by an expert in contemporary art and photography
• Get published in an online showcase on Der Greif alongside emerging artists from all over the world
• Submit for free or pay a voluntary donation of 10€
• Please note: Images which have been selected for a previous Der Greif opportunity are not eligible for re-submission. We want to support the broadest range of photographers possible and therefore encourage you to submit work that has not yet been selected by our past Guest Curators. Any images which do not comply with these terms will be removed from the selection process.
• Get the chance to be awarded a 1.000 € MPB Guest Room Scholarship

Voluntary donation

Der Greif is a registered non-profit. In these challenging economic times — especially for arts organizations and artists — we are convinced to provide a vital platform for our community. If you're in the position to support this mission, we value your support.

Since launching Guest Room in January 2015, we’ve invited a broad range of professionals (gallerists, editors, curators) to create opportunities for artists to share their work and get it in front of an international network they might not have access to otherwise. We are more commited than ever to continue this work.

We suggest a voluntary 10€ donation to help us sustain these efforts. If you’d like to support us further, we also accept regular donations via our Raisely page.

If you’re unable to contribute financially, please email voucher-guestroom@dergreif.org to receive a 50% or 100% discount code. Your artistic and financial contributions enable our continued growth.

About KJ Abudu

KJ Abudu is a curator, writer, and critic based between New York, London, and Lagos. His writings and exhibitions focus on critical art and discursive practices responding to the world-historical conditions produced by colonial capitalist modernity. Abudu recently curated "Traces of Ecstasy" at the fourth Lagos Biennial and the ICA at VCU, Richmond, 2024; and "Living with Ghosts" at Pace Gallery, London, and the Wallach Art Gallery, New York, 2022. Abudu is on the curatorial team at Swiss Institute, New York, where he has curated exhibitions by Nolan Oswald Dennis, Deborah-Joyce Holman, and Kobby Adi.

About Der Greif Guest Room

Guest Room is a monthly online exhibition with open submissions curated in real-time by personalities from the international photography scene. Der Greif is an award-winning organization for contemporary photography. It is print-publication, online-publication, curatorial team and joint project all at once. Der Greif connects the digital and the analogue, exploring and expanding the borders and limits of image-distribution and -reception in the digital era.