What is beauty? A relief, a necessity, a way to survive the harshness of the world or another tool to emerge, to be accepted. What can be called beautiful today? The search for beauty is inherent in each individual and in our society. Reflecting on it through images allows us to break clichés, discover and understand ourselves and our world. The Photo Festival Lenzburg invites photographers to share their search for beauty in the 2019 edition. The competition is open to all types of photography and is aimed at photographers from near and far. An international jury of curators will choose the three most interesting projects, which will be exhibited during the festival from 17 May to 17 June in Lenzburg’s fascinating villa Müllerhaus. An additional 50 images selected by the jury will be showcased in the shop windows of Lenzburg’s historical town center with the chance to win the People’s Prize (every image will have a corresponding number and the public will be asked to vote for the best image via sms). The town itself will be turned into an open photo gallery, with several additional events and projects about photography and a special exhibition of an internationally renown author. For four weeks Lenzburg is all about photography.

What winners receive

Exhibition during the Festival for three selected projects and more then 50 single images. Jury’s Prize for best “Project”: 1.500 CHF plus accommodation in Lenzburg for the award ceremony (17. May) People’s Prize for best “Single Image”: 1.000 CHF plus accommodation in Lenzburg for the closing ceremony (14. June).

About Photo Festival Lenzburg

The Photo Festival Lenzburg is a new, emerging festival in its second edition, which takes place for one month in Lenzburg, a historical town in Switzerland, whose proximity to Zurich and Basel, capitals of the international art world, allows world-class experts to join us. The festival has an intimate dimension, which offers a real opportunity for photographers, experts and the public to meet.

Judging criteria

The jury will decide which images participants of the photo competition address the theme with depth, high quality and the most original photographic language.

Margherita Guerra, Director Photo Festival Lenzburg / Managing Director Yourpictureditor:
Director of the Photo Festival Lenzburg, she has been working in the field of photography for 20 years, after her studies in theology, multimedia publishing and photography in Milan. She has worked as manager and photo editor in various publishing houses and ten years at Alinari photo archives, Florence. In 2015 she founded in Switzerland Yourpictureditor, international network of picture editors which provides consultancy and support for photo projects in various countries. In 2017 she co-founded the Photo Festival.

Francesco Zanot, Curator:
Curator of Camera, Turin, from 2015 to 2017, Francesco Zanot has edited several books dedicated to artists such as Boris Mikhailov, Mark Cohen, Francesco Jodice, Takashi Homma, Linda Fregni Nagler, Domingo Milella. His essays have been published in books on the work of Erik Kessels, Ettore Sottsass, Luigi Ghirri, Guido Guidi, Joel Meyerowitz, and he is the co-author of the book Ping Pong Conversations. Director of the Master in Photography by NABA in Milan, he gave lectures and seminars at the Columbia University in New York, ECAL in Lausanne, IUAV in Venice. Associate editor of curatorial platform Fantom, he curated the inaugural exhibitions at Fondazione Prada Osservatorio in Milan.

Sascha Renner, Deputy Director of Swiss Foundation for Photography, Director of COALMINE Forum for Documentary Photography:
Sascha Renner (b. 1973) is a Zurich-based curator and writer. Since 2012 Director of COALMINE Forum for Documentary Photography, Winterthur. Since 2016 Curator and Head of Communications, since 2018 Deputy Director of Swiss Foundation for Photography, Winterthur. He received his Master of Arts degree in History of Art and Ethnology from the University of Zurich. 2001–2010 Art Critic and Editor at the daily newspaper „Tages-Anzeiger“ and „züritipp“. 2010–2013 Art Editor at Swiss Public Radio „SRF 2 Kultur“. His work has been recognized by the City of Zurich with the Award for Art Mediation. His interests lie in storytelling, curating photography, documentarism, and visual cultures. He has widely published on photography and fine art. Photo © Philipp Ottendörfer

Monica Pozzi, Creative consultant:
EVERYTHING IS POZZIBLE - Monica Pozzi graduated with a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the ETH Zürich. After five years of managing construction sites and a stint of odd jobs as a door girl, DJ or lingerie store manager, she gave in to her obsession with all things visual and left to study film and photography in New York. Until 2002 Pozzi called the legendary Chelsea Hotel her home. Post 9-11 she returned to Zürich to launch PORTFOLIONIGHT, a professional photographers’ platform and WORDLESS, Switzerland’s first Street Art exhibition. Pozzi was part of the creative teams launching SI STYLE and FRIDAY magazines in Switzerland. In 2008 she was appointed head of the photo department of Switzerland’s leading fashion and lifestyle magazine ANNABELLE where she later launched A POZZIBILITY, annabelle’s first blog format in English. Through her non-profit skate project OBODNY Pozzi supports children and young adults in the USA, Ghana, South Africa or Jamaica. Today Creative Consultant Monica Pozzi shares her time working between Switzerland and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. @pozzible