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.
FOR WHOM?
Contest is open to professional and amateur International photographers. Entrants must be at
least 16 years of age as of the date of entry.
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.
CONTACT
Communication, Press, Partnerships
Daria Sazonova / communicatie.rotterdamphoto@gmail.com
Exhibitors, Sponsors
Marcel Kollen / marcel.rotterdamphoto@gmail.com
For more information and to submit your work visit the Rotterdam Photo website