Founded in 1888, Münchner Stadtmuseum is Germany’s largest municipal museum, home to the Photography Collection—established in 1963 as Germany’s first museum dedicated solely to photography. It houses over three million items, including nearly one million photographs, spanning from the 1840s to the present. The collection features a wealth of photographs, archives, bequests, and rare technical photography equipment, making it one of Europe’s leading photography institutions. The Artists on Photography fellowship, part of a new initiative by the Photography Collection, invites both artists and researchers to explore the intersection of gender theory, postcolonialism, and photography. Awarded annually, starting in 2025, the fellowship will grant one artist and one academic the opportunity to conduct research at Münchner Stadtmuseum. The focus for 2025 is on Travel and Souvenir Albums, with the goal of reinterpreting historical photographic collections in the context of contemporary issues such as artificial intelligence and digital photography.
Information & Application Details:
Application Deadline: February 10, 2025
Eligibility:
The fellowship is open to professional artists and researchers with previous exhibition experience. There is no age limit or specific academic background required, though most applicants will have studied at an art school or university.
Theme:
Travel and Souvenir Albums;
The collection holds over 250 travel and souvenir albums from the 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring photographs of global destinations, including the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. These albums raise questions about representation, the impact of industrial photography, and the souvenirs’ role in historical and modern practices. How have photographic objects and their representations evolved, and what relevance do these images hold today, particularly in the context of AI and smartphone photography?
For Artists:
Artists are invited to collaborate with a researcher, working with historical collections to produce an independent artistic project. The selected artist will receive:
• One-year project duration starting March 2025.
• A grant of €12,000 and a production budget of up to €10,000.
• Travel expenses to Munich.
• A publication showcasing both the artist’s work and the researcher’s findings.
• Exhibition after the museum’s reopening in 2031.
• Curatorial support and networking opportunities.
For Researchers:
Researchers will collaborate with an artist to study historical holdings from the Photography Collection and create an academic essay that will be published in a book. The selected researcher will receive:
• One-year project duration starting March 2025.
• A writing fee of €4,000.
• Travel expenses to Munich.
• A publication showcasing the research and the resulting artwork.
Submission Requirements:
• For Artists: Submit an existing archive-based project, a proposal for a new work based on the Photography Collection, and a CV with exhibition and publication history.
• For Researchers: Submit a published sample text (up to 10 pages), a CV with a list of publications, and a statement outlining interest in the 2025 theme.
Contact and Resources:
• Email: fotografie.stadtmuseum@muenchen.de
• Head of Photography Collection: Dr. Kathrin Schönegg
• Team: Marion Glaser, Rudolf Scheutle, Christian Schmieder, and Theres Schmölz
Support for the Project
Made possible by the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung.
Website link:
https://www.muenchner-stadtmuseum.de/en/collections/call-for-collections/artists-on-photography
Application link:
https://site.picter.com/muenchner-stadtmuseum-artists-on-photography-2025