All the information must be uploaded in English.

About Open Call

Let's face it: we can't go on like this. We are living in times of hyper-productivity, when doing nothing is frowned on, and all moments in life –even leisure and rest– must be useful or serve some purpose. We’re always available and connected, and we want to know what’s going on with everything, in real time. Whether on our screens or on the street, constant stimuli demand our attention. Multitasking and speed set the pace, while unread messages and must-watch series pile up on our to-do list. We are prisoners of efficiency, and we want to be on top of everything but we have the feeling of not achieving anything. We don’t rest even when we are resting.

For this reason, the 17th edition of Getxophoto wants to be a place where we can say: enough, stop, PAUSE! A place where we can stop to reflect on this fast-paced world and demand the right to be unproductive. To slow down, to decrease, to say I can't, I don't want to. Because what does it mean to do nothing? What other time do we gain when we're supposedly wasting time? Is inactivity the new luxury? And what role do images play here? Stopping has become an act of rebellion and at Getxophoto 2023 we want to invite you to stop with us and call for that PAUSE! that we need so much by submitting proposals using photography, installation, video, actions, digital art or any other means of visual expression.

What winners receive

The winning artists will benefit from:

• An exhibition at Getxophoto Festival together with renowned contemporary visual artists
• 400€ fee as participant of Getxophoto Festival
• Accomodation for 2 nights during the Opening Week plus a travel support (100-150€)
• National and international press exposure
• Inclusion in the Festival’s programme and publication
• The possibility to connect with other professionals during the Opening week

Judging criteria

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

About Getxophoto

Getxophoto International Image Festival has been held in Getxo (Basque Country, Spain) for 16 years. The Festival brings to the city different proposals from visual artists from all over the world, establishing a contemporary conversation on the proposed theme each year.

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 homogenization and privatisation. For this reason, most of its programme is made up of open-air installations, highlighting, on the one hand, the link between the image and the environment and, on the other, generating a more horizontal and participatory relationship with the public.

From its transversal approach, Getxophoto has been expanding through the promotion of the Internet as a space for the development of visual culture. For this reason, it carries out a specific online programme that includes different approaches such as live automated processes, interactive websites, podcasts, apps, memes or WhatsApp groups among other proposals.

The Festival will celebrate its 17th edition in June 2023 and has featured critically acclaimed artists such as Alessandra Sanguinetti; Cristina De Middel; Takashi Homma; Penelope Umbrico; Marcos López; Ricardo Cases; Martin Schoeller; Nadav Kander; Cortis & Sonderegger; John Hilliard; Juno Calypso; Joy Buolamwini; Wang Qingsong; Roger Ballen; Thomas Mailaender; Mishka Henner; Pieter Hugo; Maija Tami; Jacques-Henri Lartigue; Paul Fusco; Simon Norfolk; Zanele Muholi; Yann Gross; Mentalgassi; Ilyes Griyeb; Clare Strand; Randa Maroufi, Michael Wolf; Leonard Suryajaya or Sofía Crespo, among many others. For more information, visit getxophoto.com

This call is carried out in collaboration with Picter platform.