About

We are delighted to announce an international Open Call for artists who use analog processes across various mediums, inviting submissions that celebrate materiality and craftsmanship. We are particularly interested in new works that explore contemporary themes and unconventional, experimental approaches. From these submissions, a jury will select 10 artists to exhibit at Photographic Gallery Hippolyte during the Helsinki Analog Festival 2026.

Helsinki Analog Festival (HAF) is a continuation of the Helsinki Darkroom Festival, organized in 2022 by the Finnish Darkroom Association in collaboration with the Finnish Museum of Photography. Its main exhibition, Impression Remains, presented contemporary analog photography by eleven international artists. In 2026, the festival expands beyond photography to include moving images and book arts, celebrating analog and handcrafted art that emphasizes materiality, embodied artistic practices, and sustainable collaboration.

Celebrating Slow Making and Embodied Practices

The 2026 theme of the festival is BODY, reflecting HAF's dedication to embodied practices and the significance of physical existence in an age dominated by virtual experiences. By celebrating analog and handmade processes, HAF emphasizes slow making, material engagement, and physical existence, encouraging participants to connect deeply with their senses, bodies, and creative practices.

An Inclusive and Sustainable Vision

HAF is committed to inclusivity and equity, celebrating diverse voices and artistic practices while supporting slow, non-profit approaches as a form of resistance and resilience. The festival emphasizes handmade, sustainable objects as an alternative to mass production, encouraging a deeper appreciation of materiality and thoughtful cultural preservation.

Festival Program

The Helsinki Analog Festival program includes art and book exhibitions, analog film screenings, a symposium on artistic research, workshops, talks, and a photography competition for young people.

Selected artists will receive:

• Inclusion in the exhibition at Photographic Gallery Hippolyte (2 April – 3 May 2026)

• An expense allowance of 500€, provided by the Finnish Darkroom Association (e.g., for transportation or material costs)

About the organisers

The Helsinki Analog Festival is organized by the Finnish Darkroom Association, a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 with the purpose of ensuring the preservation of analog photography. The mission of the association is to share and develop the skills and craft of darkroom printing in Finland, to support the network of individuals and organisations in the field and to create international cooperation. The association has built and continues to maintain Mörk, a fully equipped, professional black and white darkroom.

Photographic Gallery Hippolyte is an exhibition space for contemporary art. The program focuses on photographic art and its extended field. Inside the gallery there is a bookshop specializing in volumes of photographic art. Hippolyte is an artist-run, non-profit organisation managed by the Association of Photographic Artists.

How to Enter

• Read the Terms and Conditions of the Open Call. All submissions are found to be in agreement with the Open Call's Terms and Conditions.

• Generate your submission form and pay the 20€ submission fee via Picter.com

Special requirements

• Proposed artworks must be created using analog, traditional processes, employing manual, non-digital techniques and physical media rather than digital tools such as computers, tablets, or software. The artist works directly with the materials, often producing unique characteristics and imperfections that are valued as part of the artistic expression. Each piece is typically one-of-a-kind or produced in limited editions. While some digital steps in image production are allowed, the final work must rely primarily on analog methods.

• Submitted projects must be recent (from 2020 or later).

• If selected for the exhibition, it is the responsibility of the artist to produce, insure and deliver the selected works ready to hang to the Finnish Darkroom Association by 1 March 2026.

Judging criteria

We seek artists that demonstrate strong engagement with analog or handmade practices in today's digital age. Experimentation, out-of-the-ordinary visions and a playful attitude are highly valued. While submissions should primarily use analog methods, the jury will focus mainly on artistic vision and ambition. The theme for the festival is BODY.