Terms & Conditions

1. Promoter

The promoter of this Open Call is Experimental Photo Festival in Barcelona, organised by Experimentalphotofestival Association. The 2027 edition will be the VIII Experimental Photo Festival in Barcelona.

2. Duration of the Open Call

These Terms & Conditions apply to the VIII Experimental Photo Festival in Barcelona 2027 Exhibition Open Call ("the Open Call").

Applications will open on:

12 October 2026

The original submission deadline is:

7 November 2026 at 11:59 pm CET

3. Late Entries

Entries received after the applicable closing date will be automatically disqualified.

4. Entry Responsibility

The Promoter accepts no responsibility for applications not received, incomplete submissions, corrupted files, technical issues, internet failures, Picter errors, payment problems or other circumstances outside the reasonable control of Experimentalphotofestival Association.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their application has been correctly submitted before the applicable deadline.

5. Submission Platform

Applications must be submitted exclusively through the Picter platform.

Submissions sent by email, social media, cloud storage services or any other platform or method will not be accepted.

6. Application Fee

Participation in the Open Call costs: €20 per project

Applicants may submit more than one project, but every project must be submitted as a separate application and requires payment of a separate €20 application fee.

Once an application has been submitted, the documentation cannot be modified.

The application fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.

7. Eligibility

The Open Call is international and open to: photographers, visual artists, multidisciplinary artists, collectives, professional artists, emerging artists, and creators at earlier stages of their practice

Applicants may participate regardless of nationality, country of residence or professional background.

Employees, contractors, jury members and direct family members of the Experimentalphotofestival Association are not eligible to participate in the Open Call.

For collectives, one person must be designated as the principal contact for the application and communication with the Festival.

8. Eligible Projects

There is no fixed theme.

Projects may involve analogue, digital, alternative, historical or hybrid photography, installation, expanded photography and interdisciplinary practices connecting photography with video, sound, sculpture, architecture, performance, science, technology or other disciplines.

Projects may have been previously exhibited, published or awarded.

Completed projects, works in progress and existing projects requiring adaptation to a new exhibition context are eligible.

9. Submission Content

Applicants may submit up to 10 project images per application.

Applications must also include the information requested through Picter, including project description, biography, artist portrait and relevant production, technical and installation information.

Submitted works and materials must not unlawfully infringe copyright, intellectual property, privacy, image rights, property rights or other rights belonging to third parties.

Entrants are responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions relating to their submitted materials and agree to hold Experimentalphotofestival Association harmless from claims resulting from infringements caused by their work or submission.

10. Artist Portrait

Submission of an artist portrait is mandatory. The portrait must be of sufficient quality for web, social media, newsletters, press and festival communication.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary rights and permissions to submit the portrait.

Where the portrait was created by another photographer, the appropriate photographer credit should be provided whenever applicable.

11. Data Usage

Personal data provided during the submission process will be used for purposes including: processing applications, internal jury review, communication relating to the Open Call, administration of the selection process, contracting of selected artists, production coordination, payment and invoicing, statistical evaluation, research and evaluation of the Open Call, and legally required administrative procedures

Data may be stored for up to five years for research, evaluation, administrative and promotional purposes where applicable.

Personal data will not be transferred to unrelated third parties without consent except where required by law, necessary for the administration of the Open Call or covered by the corresponding privacy conditions.

Requests relating to personal data may be addressed to:

experimentalphotofestival@gmail.com

12. Third-Party Platform

Applications and submission data will be processed through Picter, which manages information according to its own Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Applicants are responsible for reviewing and accepting the applicable Picter conditions when creating an account and submitting an application.

13. Agreement

By submitting a project, participants confirm that they have read and agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions and the General Conditions of the Open Call. Selected artists will additionally be required to sign a mandatory participation contract.

14. Copyright and Licensing

Participants retain the copyright and ownership of their artistic works.

By submitting an application, participants grant Experimental Photo Festival and Experimentalphotofestival Association a worldwide, irrevocable and perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use, distribute, reproduce, publish, communicate and display the images, artworks, texts and other materials submitted through the Open Call.

This licence includes use for promotional, exhibition, educational and commercial purposes connected with the activities of Experimentalphotofestival Association, Experimental Photo Festival, IPFA (International Photography Festivals Association) and Ágora, School of Experimentation.

Authorised uses may include: websites, international newsletters, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, current or future social media platforms, festival programmes, exhibition venues, collaborating institutions, press, media communication, promotional campaigns, educational activities, institutional presentations, reports, documentation, archives, and communication relating to current and future editions

The artist's name and title of the work will be indicated whenever reasonably possible. No royalties or additional compensation will be paid for these uses beyond the artist fees and benefits expressly established for the corresponding selection category. Artists retain all copyright and ownership rights in their works. Applicants acknowledge that materials published online may be accessible worldwide. Third parties, including educational institutions, journalists, media organisations, search engines, social networks, digital platforms and individual users, may download, save, store, reproduce or archive publicly accessible images with or without our knowledge or permission. Experimentalphotofestival Association has no control over such unauthorised downloading or subsequent use and therefore accepts no responsibility for improper, unauthorised or unlawful use of these materials by third parties outside the Association's control.

15. Image Rights

By registering for the Open Call, applicants authorise the Experimentalphotofestival Association, free of charge and without geographical or temporal limitation, to capture, reproduce, publish and disseminate their image in photographic, still-image, audiovisual and video formats in connection with Experimental Photo Festival, Ágora, School of Experimentation and activities organised by the Association.

For selected artists, this may include: the portrait submitted through Picter, photographs and videos taken during the Festival, exhibition openings, installation and dismantling, workshops, conferences, interviews, meetings, professional activities, public events, and festival documentation

These materials may be used internationally through websites, social media, newsletters, press, festival programmes, promotional and educational materials, institutional communication, reports and archives.

Experimentalphotofestival Association does not have the power to assign the independent exploitation of these image rights to third parties without the artist's express consent.

The Association cannot accept responsibility for unauthorised copying, downloading, storage, redistribution or improper use by third parties of images or audiovisual materials made publicly accessible through authorised communication channels.

16. Jury

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. NO SINGLE DEFINITION OF EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY.

The jury brings together perspectives from curating, artistic practice, experimental photography, cultural management and exhibition production.

Projects will be considered through this combination of perspectives rather than according to one specific technique, style or aesthetic.

Applications will be evaluated by a jury composed of: Pablo Giori, Arantxa Berganzo i Ràfols, Emiliano Covello, and Astrid Jacomme

The jury will consider criteria including: artistic quality, experimental approach, originality, conceptual strength, relationship between process and meaning, exhibition potential, spatial potential, adaptability, production viability, relationship with available venues, strength of the proposed installation, diversity of practices, and dialogue with the overall exhibition programme

17. Jury's Decision

The jury's decision is final and binding. No correspondence or individual feedback concerning jury decisions is guaranteed.

18. Selection Categories

Applications may be considered for different forms of recognition.

Solo Exhibition Selection

12 projects will be selected for 12 solo exhibitions in Barcelona. Applications may represent individual artists or collectives. 

Collective Exhibition Mentions

A small additional group of artists will be selected to participate together in one collective exhibition.

The exact number of artists in this category is not predetermined.

Analog Forever Magazine Selection

A further 20 artists will be selected for an online article feature dedicated to experimental photography in collaboration with Analog Forever Magazine. This publication, printed in the United States since 2018, is dedicated exclusively to contemporary film and alternative-process photography.

19. Notification of Selected Artists

Selection results will be communicated individually by email in:

January 2027

Selected artists must acknowledge receipt of the notification and complete the required participation documentation within the deadline indicated by the Experimental Photo Festival.

Failure to respond or sign the mandatory participation agreement within the established period may result in the withdrawal of the selection and the appointment of another artist or project.

20. Solo Exhibition Benefits

Artists selected for one of the 12 Solo Exhibitions receive:

1. A €150 artist fee.
2. An exhibition production budget of up to €200, managed directly by Experimental Photo Festival.
3. Access to the Ágora Diploma, School of Experimentation, valued at €999.
4. Festival access.
5. Official Experimental Photo Festival merchandise.
6. Lunches during the corresponding festival days.
7. Curatorial support.
8. Production and installation support.
9. Promotion through Experimental Photo Festival communication channels, reaching an international community of more than 60,000 people.
10. Priority access to official accommodation at Col·legi Major Penyafort-Montserrat
11. Access to the workshop exchange programme.
12. For some exhibitions, the possibility of being presented during the IPFA Meeting from 30 June to 4 July 2027, providing visibility among directors and representatives of international photography festivals.

21. Artist Fee

The €150 artist fee is direct financial compensation and is separate from the exhibition production budget and benefits provided in kind.

Payment requires the artist or collective to be able to issue a valid invoice.

Payment procedures, administrative requirements and deadlines will be established in the participation agreement.

22. Solo Exhibition Production Budget

Each Solo Exhibition has access to a production budget of up to €200, administered directly by the Experimental Photo Festival.

The production budget:

• is separate from the €150 artist fee
• is not transferred directly to the artist
• is not an unrestricted cash allowance
• is not automatically reimbursed
• may only be used for previously approved exhibition-production expenses

Eligible expenses may include:

• printing
• exhibition materials
• display supports
• graphic production
• mounting systems
• installation elements
• other approved production requirements

Expenses incurred independently without prior approval are not automatically reimbursable.

Any unused amount remains part of Experimental Photo Festival's production budget and cannot be claimed as cash.

23. Collective Exhibition Benefits

Artists selected for a Collective Exhibition Mention receive:

1. Participation in the collective exhibition.
2. A €150 artist fee.
3. Access to the Ágora Diploma, valued at €999.
4. Festival access.
5. Official merchandise.
6. Lunch during the corresponding festival days.
7. Curatorial and production support.
8. Promotion through Experimental Photo Festival communication channels.
9. Access to the workshop exchange programme.
10. Priority access to official accommodation at Col·legi Major Penyafort-Montserrat
11. A shared exhibition production budget of €600, managed directly by Experimental Photo Festival for the collective exhibition as a whole 

24. Collective Exhibition Production Budget

The Collective Exhibition has a shared production budget of €600, managed directly by Experimental Photo Festival.

This is a single budget for the exhibition as a whole.

It is not automatically divided among participating artists and does not constitute an individual production payment for each participant.

25. Ágora Diploma

Solo Exhibition Selected Artists and Collective Exhibition Mention Artists receive access to the Ágora Diploma, School of Experimentation, valued at €999.

The stated value represents access to the educational programme.

It is a benefit in kind and:

• is not €999 in cash
• cannot be exchanged for money
• does not form part of the €150 artist fee
• does not form part of the exhibition production budget

26. Conditions of Benefits

Benefits are provided according to the applicable selection category and are non-transferable unless expressly agreed otherwise.

Cash alternatives will not be offered for benefits provided in kind.

Production budgets cannot be exchanged for cash.

Priority access to accommodation does not mean that accommodation costs are paid by the Experimental Photo Festival.

27. Workshop Exchange

Selected exhibition artists may indicate an interest in sharing a workshop during the Experimental Photo Festival 2027.

An exhibition artist who teaches one workshop may attend two festival workshops in exchange.

TEACH 1 WORKSHOP → ATTEND 2 WORKSHOPS

This is a non-monetary exchange.

Artists teaching two workshops become part of the separate Artists: Workshops + Conferences programme and its corresponding conditions will apply.

28. Exhibition Development

Projects submitted through Picter are understood as exhibition proposals. Selected artists will work with the Festival's curatorial and production teams to develop and adapt their projects to the assigned venue.

The final exhibition may evolve according to: available space, scale, materials, installation systems, technical requirements, safety, accessibility, production resources, and characteristics of the venue

Significant adaptations will be developed in dialogue with the artist. The final allocation of exhibition spaces is determined by the Experimental Photo Festival.

29. Installation and Dismantling

Selected artists are responsible for the installation and dismantling of their own exhibitions.

Experimental Photo Festival's production team will assist artists during both processes and coordinate the work with the assigned venue.

The production team may assist with: venue access, installation schedules, technical guidance, available tools and equipment, agreed mounting systems, festival-managed production materials, and coordination with venue staff

The technical and production teams provide assistance, but final responsibility for the installation and dismantling remains with the artist.

30. Presence in Barcelona

Selected exhibition artists must be available to participate physically in Barcelona according to the schedule of their exhibition.

Artists are expected to be present for:

• installation
• exhibition opening
• participation in Experimental Photo Festival 2027
• dismantling

Individual dates will depend on the assigned exhibition and venue.

Some exhibitions will be installed earlier in connection with the IPFA Meeting, taking place from 30 June to 4 July 2027.

The current dates for the VIII Experimental Photo Festival are:

21-25 July 2027

Individual schedules will be communicated to selected artists during the production process.

31. Transport of Artworks

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, artists are responsible for organising and covering the transportation of existing artworks, artist-owned materials and personal equipment to Barcelona and their return following the exhibition.

Transport costs are not automatically covered by the Festival's production budget.

Any transport expense intended to be covered through a production budget must be approved in advance.

32. Sale of Works

Works presented within Experimental Photo Festival exhibitions will not be offered for sale by Experimental Photo Festival during the event.

33. Analog Forever Magazine Selection

Artists receiving an Analog Forever Magazine Mention may have project images, biography, portrait and professional links included in an online article. This publication, printed in the United States since 2018, is dedicated exclusively to contemporary film and alternative-process photography. Additional publication or image-use permissions may be required before publication.

34. Disqualification, Inappropriate Content and Exclusion

The Promoter reserves the right to reject, disqualify or exclude an application where: it is submitted after the applicable deadline, the applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements of the Open Call, the application is incomplete or does not include the materials required through Picter, the applicable application fee has not been successfully paid, the application contains materially false, misleading or fraudulent information, the submitted work or materials infringe copyright, intellectual property, privacy, image rights, property rights or other rights belonging to third parties, the applicant has an undisclosed conflict of interest that makes them ineligible under these Terms & Conditions, the applicant attempts to interfere with, manipulate or improperly influence the submission, jury or selection process, the submitted content is unlawful, discriminatory, threatening, defamatory or otherwise seriously inappropriate or offensive in relation to applicable law, fundamental human rights or the Festival's values, the applicant fails to comply with these Terms & Conditions, the General Conditions of the Open Call or the submission requirements established through Picter, after selection, the artist fails to provide required documentation, sign the mandatory participation agreement or fulfil the participation requirements within the deadlines communicated by Experimental Photo Festival.

Where a reason for disqualification or exclusion is discovered after the jury process or after a selection has been announced, Experimental Photo Festival reserves the right to withdraw the selection and, where appropriate, select another artist or project or modify the exhibition programme.

The Festival may request clarification or additional information before making a decision where reasonably appropriate, but is not required to provide applicants with an opportunity to correct an application where the applicable deadline has passed or where the issue cannot reasonably be remedied.

Disqualification or exclusion does not entitle the applicant to a refund of the application fee, except where otherwise required by applicable law.

35. Participation Agreement

Selected artists will be required to sign a mandatory participation contract. The agreement will establish the applicable conditions concerning: selection category, artist fee, Invoicing, payment, production budget, benefits, venue assignment, production schedule, installation, dismantling, attendance, transport, technical requirements, copyright, intellectual property, artwork image use, artist image rights, photographic and audiovisual documentation, communication and press, withdrawal, cancellation, responsibilities of the artist, and responsibilities of Experimental Photo Festival. Participation is not considered fully confirmed until the required agreement has been signed.

36. Withdrawal

If a selected artist is unable to participate, they must notify the Experimental Photo Festival as soon as possible.

The Festival reserves the right to select another project or modify the exhibition programme.

Where an artist withdraws after production expenses have already been incurred, the applicable responsibilities will be determined according to the participation agreement.

37. Changes to the Festival Programme

Experimentalphotofestival Association reserves the right to make changes to the Festival programme, exhibition venues, schedules, installation dates, production arrangements or other organisational elements where necessary.

Changes may be required for institutional, organisational, technical, production, safety or circumstances beyond the Festival's reasonable control.

Where a significant change affects a selected exhibition, Experimental Photo Festival will communicate and coordinate the modification with the artist whenever reasonably possible.

38. Changes or Cancellation of the Open Call

The Promoter reserves the right to cancel, postpone or modify the Open Call at its discretion where circumstances make this necessary.

Any significant changes will be communicated through the official Open Call channels.

39. Promotion Disclaimer

This Open Call is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or any other social media platform.

Picter provides the platform through which applications are submitted but is not responsible for the artistic selection or organisation of the Experimental Photo Festival.

40. Modification of Terms

The Promoter reserves the right to change or modify these Terms & Conditions where necessary.

Changes will become effective upon publication on the official Open Call page.

Where modifications materially affect already submitted applications, Experimental Photo Festival will communicate the relevant changes to affected participants whenever appropriate.

41. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms & Conditions are governed by Spanish law.

Any dispute arising in connection with the Open Call shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts of Barcelona, Spain, subject to any mandatory legal provisions that may apply.