Museums, exhibition spaces, memorial sites, archives, collections, libraries, cultural institutes, universities, art academies and other educational institutions in the field of photography, as well as municipal and private galleries and project spaces are invited to submit an exhibition project to our biennial festival EMOP Berlin – European Month of Photography. Because it’s with your projects that EMOP Berlin 2025 will once again present the city of Berlin as a hub for discourse on the medium of photography. EMOP Berlin’s 11th edition will take place March 1–31, 2025. In this spirit, we’d like to invite you to submit your exhibition project to the festival. Applicants are advised that proposals do not imply a right to participate.
Further information on participation guidelines can be found here.
We look forward to receiving all your submissions by the deadline, July 31, 2024.
FAQ
Who is the open call for submissions to EMOP Berlin 2025 aimed at?
The open call for submissions to EMOP Berlin 2025 is aimed at museums, exhibition spaces, memorial sites, archives, collections, libraries, cultural institutes, universities, art academies and other educational institutions in the field of photography, as well as municipal and private galleries and project spaces. Photographers and artists can also take part in the open call as individuals or as a group/collective, provided they have an exhibition space in Berlin.
When does the submission process begin and end?
The open call for submissions to EMOP Berlin 2025 starts on June 3, 2024. The deadline for submitting your exhibition proposals is midnight on July 31, 2024.
Where can I find the forms for submitting an exhibition proposal for participation in EMOP Berlin 2025?
The online form and additional information for submitting your exhibition proposal can be found here.
Who selects the exhibition proposals for EMOP Berlin 2025?
Together with the Artistic Director of EMOP Berlin, a jury comprised of people from the professional art field decides on the selection of exhibition proposals for participation in EMOP Berlin 2025.
The jury members responsible for selecting exhibition proposals for EMOP Berlin 2025 are:
- Akinbode Akinbiyi (artist, Berlin)
- Thomas Fischer (gallery owner, Berlin)
- Mira Anneli Naß (art historian and photo theorist, Bremen)
- Prof. Wiebke Loeper (artist and professor for photography, Berlin and Potsdam)
- Maren Lübbke-Tidow (Artistic Director, EMOP Berlin)
The EMOP Berlin 2025 jury meets confidentially. Reasons for a project’s inclusion or rejection will not be recorded in writing. You are welcome to contact the EMOP Berlin team with any questions you may have.
When will the acceptance and rejection letters for participation in EMOP Berlin 2025 be mailed?
Notifications of acceptance or rejection for participation in EMOP Berlin 2025 will go out in September 2024.
What happens after you’ve been invited to take part in EMOP Berlin?
The EMOP Berlin team will contact you to obtain further information (including text and image material) about your exhibition project and accompanying events. The information you provide will be used for a wide-ranging communication and promotion of the festival programme (website, programme booklet, social media, etc.). Additionally, a cooperation agreement will be drawn up for your participation in the festival.
Are there any costs involved in participating in EMOP Berlin?
In 2025, EMOP Berlin will not charge fees to its partners, but reserves the right to a mandatory catalogue purchase, copies of which you can then resell to your visitors.
Will EMOP Berlin finance the project I’ll be presenting at the festival?
EMOP Berlin is unable to contribute to the costs you will incur in realizing your exhibition project and educational programme. Securing funding for exhibition projects is the responsibility of our partners and not a service provided by EMOP Berlin. EMOP Berlin is responsible for the festival’s overall communication and carries out extensive promotional measures as well as on-site branding.
What is the leitmotif for EMOP Berlin 2025?
The leitmotif for EMOP Berlin 2025 is what stands between us.
The open call has announced the leitmotif for the 2025 edition of EMOP Berlin. Does the project have to relate to the leitmotif to qualify?
We’d be pleased if your exhibition proposal for EMOP Berlin 2025 involved a connection to the leitmotif. It’s not mandatory, however, and does not affect the jury’s decision.
Can institutions and initiatives not based in Berlin submit a project proposal?
In principle, it’s possible to submit a proposal to EMOP Berlin 2025 if you’re not based in Berlin. However, one precondition for participation is cooperation with an exhibition space in Berlin. This can be a room temporarily adapted for the exhibition.
Can individuals submit a project proposal?
Yes, provided they have a suitable exhibition space.
Can a project proposal be submitted without having an exhibition space?
It’s not possible to apply for participation in EMOP Berlin if there is no suitable exhibition venue at the time of submission.
EMOP Berlin does not have its own exhibition spaces and cannot organize venues for potential participants.
Can a project be submitted whose list of artists is not yet final?
Yes. However, when submitting a proposal to EMOP Berlin 2025, the project’s concept should be conveyed as concretely as possible, and you should already have the first collaboration commitments from artists. A complete list must be submitted by October 13, 2024.
Can a project be submitted whose selection of works is not yet complete?
Yes. However, when submitting a proposal to EMOP Berlin 2025, the project’s concept should be conveyed as concretely as possible and the first photographic works should already have been selected. A representative list of images must be finalized by October 13, 2024.
Do the accompanying events and educational programmes (talks, guided tours, etc.) have to be included in the submission?
No. Information on events and educational programmes accompanying your exhibition will be requested separately at a later date and included in the EMOP Berlin event calendar.
I’m planning a photo exhibition in Berlin, but it opens prior to the official start of the festival month. Can my exhibition still be part of the festival?
We ask our participants to plan their exhibition projects to coincide as closely as possible with the start of the festival. Openings that take place during the festival month are eligible; extending the show beyond the festival month is not a problem.