About

Rotterdam Photo 2026: Echoes of Silence – War in the Artist's Soul

What does war do to an artist when he or she is not an eyewitness, but becomes a bearer of the emotional legacy? What does the violence sound like in the minds of those who survive, flee, or hear only?

In “Echoes of Silence,” we explore how war, conflict and collective trauma reverberate in the work of photographers who choose not to use the lens as a reporting tool, but as a mirror of their inner struggles.

At a time when images of war are constantly circulating through media and screens, Rotterdam Photo 2026 calls for a different perspective: an introspective, subjective and visually layered approach to war. No reportage photography or direct registration of violence, but photographic autonomous work that departs from personal resonance, psychological processing or symbolic representation.

This edition focuses on artists for whom war is not a scene, but a condition. Where conflict takes place not outside the body, but in the memory, the family story, the subconscious. Here the lens does not register an explosion, but echoes of it: in silence, emptiness, repetition, fragmentation or alienation. We see this as a necessary extension of the discourse around conflict and visual culture, in which the personal, poetic and symbolic perspective is often underexposed.

Visual language and design may vary - from analog distortion to poetic portraits, from abstract landscapes to symbolic still lifes - but the common thread is the inner impact of war on artistry. This project counterbalances the dominant narrative of sensation, making room for reflection, symbolism and empathy by focusing on the artist's inner landscape, and accommodates both established and emerging photographers with idiosyncratic, conceptual and visual approaches.

Cultural and social urgency:

Worldwide artists are inevitably linked to violence, displacement and memory. Think of diaspora, colonial legacies, intergenerational trauma or recent wars. These themes are both topical and universal, and deserve a platform that makes room for the stratification of experience - not just the spectacle of war.

Rotterdam, as a city of trauma and transformation, provides the perfect context for this program. Here, personal histories of migration, bombing and reconstruction come together in an urban identity deeply imbued with traces of conflict - often invisible, but always present. We aim for an internationally diverse selection - with particular attention to voices from (post)conflict areas and diaspora - and seek work that surprises, disrupts, silences.

Content goals and impact:

Through public programs, we connect this work to pressing questions about global solidarity, the role of imaging in social awareness, and the impact of conflict on identity and memory.

• Social awareness about hidden forms of conflict: trauma, cultural oppression, digital warfare and ecological stability undermines. Through visual art that approaches conflict from psychological and symbolic perspectives.

• Curating layered photographic programs with (inter)national artists. And encouraging artistic reflection on conflict outside the frameworks of journalism or activism

• Reinforcing democratic values through art that evokes reflection on freedom, representation, memory and collective responsibility.

• Accessibility and dialogue: through public activities (lectures, exhibitions, educational program) engaging a wide and diverse audience in which silence, vulnerability and interiority are central

• International exchange: with artists from Ireland, Nigeria, Canada and France, we offer an international perspective on shared inner wars.

• Space for new voices: by presenting artists with roots in diaspora, postcolonial communities and digital countercultures, we give space to urgent and underexposed work.

Working method / selection:

With an Open Project Call, we make a global call to submit autonomously produced photographic projects around a chosen theme. This theme can be seen as a keyword that indicates in general terms a current social issue that serves as an umbrella for the overall programming of an edition. In addition, a number of artists are approached directly because of their consistent, relevant body of work. Curatorial selection is made for artistic quality, social urgency and originality in visual language.

What winners receive

Selected photographers will be invited to showcase their projects and create their exhibition in the container during Rotterdam Photo 2026. As part of the prize, winners will be given dedicated exhibition space to present their work.They will also have the chance to sell their pieces, network with gallerists, potential buyers, and international art press. Rotterdam Photo does not charge any commission on sales made during the festival.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS:

• Submission review by professionals from the photography field 
• Featuring across festival/partner social networks and websites (LensCulture, Dodho magazine, All About Photo)
• Personal exhibition project at the Rotterdam Photo 2026 (you can directly curate and craft your project) 
• Special categories awards and cash prizes
• Opportunity to participate in the Rotterdam Photo Talks and RP networking events
• Publication and Inclusion in the Festival program
• International press exposure 
• Be part of the event with 10.000 + visitors in the centre of Rotterdam
• Opportunity to exhibit in Barcelona (June) in the gallery of the International Photo Festival Association
• Opportunity to exhibit in Tampere, Finland during the Backlight festival (September)
• Opportunity to exhibit in Switzerland during Photo Schweiz with the Directors Choice
• Opportunity to win a Young Talent Award (cash prize and gear)

About Rotterdam Photo

Rotterdam Photo is an annual photography fair with a festival flair, celebrating the full spectrum of contemporary photography in all its diversity. Founded in 2016, it has grown into an accessible, innovative platform for both emerging and established photographers. Each year, Rotterdam Photo invites independent photographers to exhibit projects through an open call connected to the festival theme. The fair provides an affordable and direct exhibition space, reducing the barriers often associated with art and photography fairs. With its distinctive container village at the heart of Rotterdam's Art Axis, the festival blends the energy of a fair with the creativity and community spirit of a festival - attracting over 10,000 visitors every year.

Judging Criteria

The selection process for the Rotterdam Photo contests consists of three rounds of evaluation. In each round, the photography experts panel will individually review entries and select a group of entries in each category to proceed to the following round.

Entries will be judged based on creativity, photographic quality, and effectiveness in expressing the contest theme. Winners will be announced on this website as well as on social media channels