Beauty and Consolation

The human condition is defined by its limitations and dissatisfactions. Faced with the bewilderment of the world, humans search for the meaning of existence in pursuit of peace and harmony. We live in an incessant search, trying to find solace for our pain and suffering. We are obsessed with happiness and pleasure but struggle to find consolation.

We nurture singularity and freedom but at the same time we value the sense of belonging and security. Individuality and society are both complementary and antagonistic: within the family, the community and institutions. On the other hand, our collective memory shapes us within this cycle of constant transformation, thus conditioning both our understanding and our vision of the future.

The vertiginous acceleration and mechanization of the world in this era of haste and apathy causes confusion and disorientation. The agitation of contemporary life leads to fragmentation and indifference. We must find an antidote for the hyperactive disquiet which consumes us and distances us from nature and from ourselves. Could it be that our reconciliation with the world can be done through the contemplation of the aesthetic. Could Beauty be our salvation?

About Call

Encontros da Imagem - International Photography and Visual Arts Festival is pleased to invite all artists, working with the medium of photography and other visual forms (video, installation, etc), to submit their work under the theme “Beauty and Consolation” for the Discovery Awards 2018. Taking into account the success of the previous editions, the festival organizes once more this open call for the Discovery Awards 2018, thus reiterating the wish to showcase new emerging talents - national and international - promoting this way new emerging artists chosen based on the high quality of their projects. The selected artists, will have the opportunity to exhibit their work during this year's edition, that will take place from the 21st of September to the 28th of October in Braga, Portugal.

What winners receive

• Production of their work by the festival, which will be included in the exhibitions for the 2018 edition*;
• Publication of their work in the catalogue of the 2018 edition;
• Two nights of accommodation for the artist in Braga during the Opening Weekend on the 21st and 22nd of September 2018;
• The best project will be awarded a FUJIFILM camera sponsored by FUJIFILM;

*All decisions regarding the setup of the exhibitions will be done together with the artistic direction of the festival.

About the organization

Encontros da Imagem, with more than thirty years of existence, is a non-profit cultural association, that promotes annually an International Photography and Visual Arts Festival in the city of Braga, Portugal. The festival celebrates classic and contemporary photography and since last year, visual arts in general by showcasing emerging and established artists. Every year Encontros da Imagem promotes an open call for the Discovery Awards, where the winners have the opportunity to exhibit their work during the festival. Encontros da Imagem also organizes an International Photography Prize - Emergentes, this prize is awarded after the Portfolio Review, which gives photographers the opportunity to show their work to an international jury, composed by commissioners, gallery owners and expert editors, thus establishing solid foundations for the promotion of their work. The festival has developed an eclectic programme. This year the theme is “Beauty and Consolation”, where numerous artists emerging and established, national and international will be shown in several public and private spaces (historical and monumental buildings, museums, galleries and others). Encontros da Imagem is a cultural photographic reference in Portugal, and has reached a prominent position in the international panorama, being currently one of the oldest photography festivals in Europe.