Organizer Information
The Circulation(s) Festival is curated and programmed by the Fetart Collective, a curatorial group composed of seven women working in the field of emerging photography. Fetart has been active for more than a decade in identifying, supporting, and exhibiting new photographic talent across Europe, with a strong emphasis on contemporary visual languages and experimental image-making practices.
The festival itself is hosted at CENTQUATRE-PARIS, a major cultural venue in eastern Paris known for its multidisciplinary programming across visual arts, performance, design, and contemporary culture. CENTQUATRE-PARIS functions as both an exhibition space and a production platform, regularly hosting large-scale international festivals and experimental artistic projects.
Circulation(s) has been running for over 16 years and is widely recognized as a leading European platform for emerging photography. It focuses on expanding the visibility of young and early-career photographers and fostering dialogue between artists, curators, professionals, and the public through exhibitions, screenings, and off-site events across France and Europe.
Title & Description
Circulation(s) European Young Photography Festival 2027 Open Call
Circulation(s) is a European festival dedicated to emerging photography, aiming to showcase innovative, experimental, and contemporary photographic practices. The 17th edition will take place in Spring 2027 at CENTQUATRE-PARIS and will later continue through touring exhibitions and satellite events in France and Europe.
The call invites photographers to submit a single cohesive photographic project for consideration. The artistic direction, led by the Fetart Collective, will select approximately twenty artists whose work will be presented in the festival exhibition.
The festival does not impose a thematic constraint, encouraging open interpretation and conceptual freedom. Projects may include hybrid forms of photography and can integrate video, sound, installation, or interdisciplinary approaches. The selected works are expected to reflect strong aesthetic quality, conceptual relevance, and a contemporary photographic language that contributes to the discourse of emerging visual culture.
This opportunity is designed as both an exhibition platform and a professional development milestone, offering selected artists visibility within one of Europe’s most important photography festivals.
Categories
- Photography (Core Discipline)
- Visual Art
- Mixed Media Photography
- Video (as part of photographic projects)
- Installation Art
- Sound-based / Multimedia Works (if integrated within photographic series)
- Experimental / Contemporary Image Practices
- Group Photographic Projects (accepted)
Eligibility
- Open to photographers of European nationality or residents in Europe
- Open to emerging photographers at the beginning of their careers
- No age limit
- Applicants must NOT have had a major exhibition in France
- Includes disqualification if previously exhibited in major French photography festivals
- Includes exclusion if previously selected for Circulation(s)
- Both individual and collective/group projects are eligible
- Applicants may submit only one photographic series per application
- Artificial intelligence usage in image creation must be clearly disclosed if applicable
Program Benefits & Awards
- Exhibition in the 2027 Circulation(s) Festival at CENTQUATRE-PARIS
- Inclusion in one of Europe’s leading emerging photography platforms
- Production support for exhibition materials (prints, framing, laminations) funded by the festival within allocated budgets
- Professional exhibition production handled in collaboration with partner laboratories in Paris
- Travel support and accommodation for selected artists during the opening weekend (4 days / 3 nights)
- Coverage of return transportation costs supported by cultural partners
- €400 (including taxes) paid as copyright assignment fee for selected artists
- International visibility through touring exhibitions across France and Europe
- Institutional exposure to curators, galleries, critics, and photography professionals
Application Fee
- Early Bird (28 April – 24 May 2026): Free of charge
- Standard Fee (25 May – 7 June 2026): €20
Payment applies only during the standard application period.
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit the following materials via the official online application form:
- Completed application form (online submission)
- CV (French or English), including:
- Education (if applicable)
- Artistic career
- Exhibition history (with dates, locations, and contexts)
- Publications (if any)
- One photographic series only per application
- Explanatory text (maximum 20 lines) describing the series
- Up to 20 images from the selected series
- JPEG or PDF format accepted
- ZIP file allowed for image submission (max 72 dpi per image)
- PDF portfolios may combine images + texts
- File naming must follow: NAME_Firstname
- Exhibition design concept (flexible format), which may include:
- Sketches or drawings
- Moodboards
- 3D renderings or 2D plans
- Installation references or past exhibition documentation
- Written curatorial or spatial concept
Total submission size must not exceed 128 MB.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Early Bird Deadline: 24 May 2026
- Final Application Deadline: 7 June 2026
- Pre-selection Period: Summer 2026
- Final Selection Announcement: September 2026
- Results Notification: Mid-October 2026
- Official Artist Announcement: November 2026
- Exhibition Production Period: November 2026 – January 2027
- Festival Exhibition: Spring 2027
Location
Paris, France
Additional Details
- Selection is made by the Fetart artistic direction and is final with no appeal
- Evaluation is based on artistic quality, originality, and conceptual relevance
- Selected artists must provide high-resolution files by late November 2026 for production
- Festival production team handles printing and installation logistics
- Works remain the property of the artists after exhibition
- Accessibility support is available for applicants with disabilities (contact: info@fetart.org / +33 1 85 09 26 11)
- The festival strongly encourages innovative, experimental, and hybrid photographic practices
- Exhibition design concept is not binding and will be developed collaboratively if selected