AIR is as an essentially necessary substance. We can think about air as an elixir of life but also as: the air for breathing, balloons, air bubbles, airships or birds; air in science or history, air in a more philosophical understanding. But also pollution or the environment are closely connected to “AIR”. What else can air be: the linguistic diversity in dealing with AIR – whether as idiomatic expressions, terminology or metaphor – opens countless interesting image ideas in many different areas of our everyday life.

Please, when you are younger than 28, show us your images and ideas about AIR. They can be in colour or black and white, abstract or very „real”, show you personal relation to air or a very general understanding of the topic.

We are very curious to see you images and happy to select 30 or 40 for our exhibition in Düsseldorf, which will be part of the [wa:|wa:] Festival.

What winners receive

We will select about 30 of the submitted images for an exhibition. As part of Kabawil’s [wa:|wa] Festivals the images will be printed in different sizes on Blue-Back Paper and installed as an outdoor wallpaper-collage in September 2019 in Düsseldorf.

KABAWIL

KABAWIL is a centre for socio-cultural art projects and productions in Düsseldorf offers people different perspectives for their lives through cultural work. Cultural education, according to the Kabawil concept, addresses people in their environments, takes their interests seriously and uncovers their assets. An international team of artists, educators and cultural managers impart artistic techniques and accompany the creative processes. While acknowledging difference, KABAWIL establishes a common concept and vocabulary for its creative, cultural work and artistic expression. In 2009 Kabawil founded Framewalk, an international trans-cultural workshop for young practionners of the performing arts. Framewalk collaborated with art institutions in Ethiopia, Turkey, Mocambique, Mali, Japan, Namibia and on a regular basis with Ghana. Young artists from these countries got to experience each others cultures and work and perform together in their respective countries and in Germany as well. In 2017 KABAWIL started its annual [wa:|wa:] Festival in Düsseldorf. For two weeks [wa:|wa:] hosts theatre, music, spoken word, poetry and dance on stage as well as in urban spaces, offers walks, art exhibitions, panels, workshops and a neighbourhood program KABAWIL was founded in 2003, is a member of the German Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband and a recognized institution of youth welfare.

Judging criteria

Judging Criteria: We will look at each image carefully. We will select images, which show an interesting perspective on the topic, show a personal photographic style and which are technically sufficient. Works used for the exhibition will be judged for their importance to the topic outlined by the curatorial team. Participants are encouraged to send uncensored and open images. There is no restriction to subject matter or image type as long as they fit the topic and the category.

Juror information

Katja Stuke & Oliver Sieber

Katja Stuke and Oliver Sieber are photographers living in Düsseldorf. They are photographers and artists, curators and exhibition organizers, designers and art book editors. Since 2005, they have worked regularly abroad, including artist residencies in Osaka, Tokyo, Paris, Chicago, Rotterdam, Sarajevo and Toronto. They won several awards for their books. They are teaching in Germany and Spain, gave workshops in Tokyo, Moscow, Rotterdam or Vienna and work with Kabawil for several years now.