The ShowOFF Section, devoted to premiering projects by artists making their debut, is one of the main parts of the Krakow Photomonth programme. By participating in the ShowOFF Section, emerging artists, chosen via an open call, have the opportunity to work with recognised and experienced specialists in the field of visual arts, including the invited curators and festival organisers helping to guide, oversee and promote their projects.

What winners receive

The ShowOFF format provides artists with the opportunity to gain experience within a professional artistic environment, and also allows each participant to present their work to a diverse audience during a festival with international reach. As organisers, we provide specialist and promotional support both during and after Photomonth. Invited curators individually guide participants through all stages of the artistic project and exhibition – from concept development and editing of material, to the selection of formats, papers, and frames, to the drafting and fine-tuning of texts accompanying the exhibition, and finally to the arrangement of work within the exhibition space. Each project will be presented as a solo exhibition during Krakow Photomonth 2022, the festival's special 20th edition. By participating in the ShowOFF Section, artists join a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experiences at an international scale, and have the opportunity to establish long-term relationships and cooperation with notable representatives of the artistic community.

Krakow Photomonth

ShowOFF and Krakow Photomonth Festival are organised by The Foundation for Visual Arts, a non-profit organisation established in 2001 in Krakow, Poland. Dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of visual arts in Poland, with an emphasis on photography, the Foundation has sought out new definitions of what photography is within the context of contemporary art, history, and social sciences. This mission is pursued during the Foundation's key projec – the annual Krakow Photomonth Festival which focuses on promoting young artists and new initiatives. The Foundation for Visual Arts organises other cultural events, publishes books, as well as digitalises photographic archives, including documentary photographs of Wojciech Plewiński, Zygmunt Rytka and Zofia Rydet's Sociological Record.

How to Enter

Individuals may submit up to two photography or film and video projects. The requirement is that these projects have never been presented in the form of a solo or group exhibition, at a leading art institution (i.e. museum or art gallery engaged in the promotion of artists). Applications must be sent no later than 9 January, 2022. We are open to receive submissions from photographers as well as artists involved with interdisciplinary projects. The submissions can tackle any subject you like – no restrictions apply. Due to ShowOFF being an international event, entries must be submitted with English descriptions.

Inga Schneider studied Cultural Sciences in Hildesheim (DE). Since 2006, she has been based in Cologne. She worked for PRISKA PASQUER Gallery and ran the V8 Gallery, which focused on photographic projects from Eastern Europe. As a freelance curator she has realised projects for Krakow Photomonth, the Warsaw Art Photography Festival, Environmental Photography Festival 'horizonte zingst,' International Fotobookfestival Kassel, KOLGA Tbilisi Photo Festival, and the Museum Folkwang in Essen. Since 2013, she has been on the management board of Internationale Photoszene Köln, and in charge of programming for the Artist Meets Archive. She is one of the founders of the NEXT! Festival der Jungen Photoszene, a nationwide photo festival for children and young people.

Iñaki Domingo is a visual artist, a university lecturer, and a professional photographer. His artistic practice is focused in the field of Expanded Photography, with ongoing research on the existing contradictions between the gaze and the representation of reality. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions, has received several awards, and is part of private and public collections. He also collaborates with public and private institutions and companies developing educational, editorial, and curatorial projects.

Katarzyna Kozyra is the creator of performances, films, video installations, and artistic actions. In 2011, she received a doctoral degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. She is the recipient of Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and Polityka 'Passport' awards (2011, 1997), and has been awarded grants from the DAAD in Berlin and the Kościuszko Foundation in New York (2003, 2000). She received an honorary mention at the 48th Venice Biennale for the video installation The Men's Bathhouse, presented at the Polish Pavilion. Named one of the ten most important artists of the new millennium by The Huffington Post, Kozyra has through her practice contributed to the development of critical art, impacting the shape of contemporary culture.

Lola Paprocka is a self-taught photographer with a practice centering on documentary imagery. Her focus is on creating work with sentimental narratives that are authentic and honest in their representation of the subject whilst retaining a personal aesthetic that is clean and unfussy. Many of her projects focus on the theme of adolescence and the interactions of friendship groups among youths, especially those from marginalised communities and subcultures. She is a curator, founder, and creative director of Palm* Studios, a London-based publisher and online platform focusing on photography. Lola's work has been exhibited worldwide, including in galleries in London, Melbourne, New York, Warsaw, and Paris.

Magdalena Ujma is an art critic, art historian, and curator of exhibitions of contemporary art. Since 2018, she has worked with the Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor CRICOTEKA in Krakow, providing curatorial care for its collection; and, since 2021, she has been involved with the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, where she oversees the periodicals Restart and Elements and conducts educational activities. She is the president of the Polish chapter of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). She lives in Krakow.

Clare Strand is a British artist working with and against the photographic medium. Over the past two decades she has worked with found imagery, kinetic machinery, web programmes, fairground attractions, and, most recently, large-scale paintings. She often rejects the subject-based qualities and immediate demand of information so often associated with the photographic image, instead unapologetically adopting and welcoming a subtle, slow-burn approach. Her work is held in collections including those of MoMA NY, SFMOMA, the V&A, Centre Pompidou, and the NY Public Library. She has produced three publications: Clare Strand Monograph (Steidl, 2009), Skirts (GOST, 2014), and Girl Plays with Snake (Mack, 2017). She is also one half of the collaborative partnership MacDonaldStrand and Head of the Intangible for The Institute of Unnecessary Research.

FAQ

Is it possible to submit more than one project?

Yes, you can submit 1 or 2 projects in total.

Is there an age limit?

No, there is no age limit. If you are under 18, you must send a signed scan of a consent from your legal guardian to showoff@photomonth.com.

Do I have to pay for the application to the competition?

Yes, the entry fee must be paid via Picter in the amount of:

• 20€for one Project or 30€for two Projects for applications submitted until December 24, 2021 11:59:59 PM CET (UTC +01)
• 30€ for one Project or 40€ for two Projects for applications submitted between December 25, 2021 and January 9, 2022 11:59:59 PM CET (UTC +01).

Is it possible to submit drafts of the video?

Yes. If you wish to enter a video, please upload the video on Vimeo, protect it with a password and provide us with both, the link and the password. Please enter a link and password in the project description of your submission.

Can I apply for ShowOFF 2022 in a different way than by Picter platform?

No, you need to create an account on Picter.com in order to apply.

Who is a debutant?

A debutant is an individual whose work has never been presented, either in the form of a solo or group exhibition, at a leading art institution (i.e. museum or art gallery engaged in the promotion of artists), and who has never received an award at a photography event, including photo festivals).