Organizer Information
The Collège international de photographie (CIP) is an institution dedicated to the preservation, experimentation, and dissemination of photographic knowledge and practices. Based in Montreuil (Grand Paris), the organisation promotes historical and contemporary photographic research and supports artists working across diverse photographic methodologies. The CIP works closely with cultural partners, including the French Ministry of Culture (DGCA) and the Neuflize OBC Corporate Foundation, both key contributors to this call. The association supports long-term research, cultural heritage preservation, and critical engagement with photography’s past and future.
Title & Description
Le temps de l’invention — Bourse de recherche-création du Collège international de photographie (2025–2027)
This open call invites artists and researchers to produce retrospective, research-driven projects that reflect on the early period of photography’s invention, specifically 1820–1850. The theme aims to encourage contemporary reinterpretations, analyses, or extensions of photographic history—embracing not only historical techniques but also modern methods, including artificial intelligence.
The program anticipates the bicentennial of the French invention of photography by Nicéphore Niépce, which will be celebrated between 2026 and 2027. Selected projects must establish a clear connection to the pioneers and inventors of photography’s earliest years, offering artistic or theoretical contributions that explore this foundational period.
Categories
- Research-Creation (Practice-based research)
- Photography (Historical, Contemporary, Experimental)
- Visual Art / Media Art
- Interdisciplinary approaches using new technologies (including AI)
Eligibility
- Open to applicants residing or working in France, including overseas territories.
- Open to artists, researchers, or practitioners whose work engages with photographic processes, history, or contemporary experimentation.
- Projects must explicitly address the proposed theme; otherwise, they will not be reviewed.
Program Benefits & Awards
- 4 research-creation grants, each valued at 8,000 €.
- Year-long professional support for selected laureates.
- Jury composed of representatives from CIP, DGCA (Ministry of Culture), and Fondation Neuflize-OBC.
- Work presentation (restitution) in January 2027.
- Editorial or curatorial valorisation in Summer 2027.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
Submit a single PDF file (<70 MB) including:
- A presentation of your artistic practice (max 200 words)
- A project proposal for the research-creation grant (max 400 words)
- A portfolio of previous work
- A biography (approx. 200 words)
- A CV
How to Apply?
Send your complete application by email with the subject line: “CIP Bourse de recherche-création”
to: boursecreationcip@gmail.com
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 December 2025
- Jury Meeting: Early 2026
- Announcement of Laureates: February 2026
- Restitution of Work: January 2027
- Editorial/Curatorial Presentation: Summer 2027
Location
Montreuil, Grand Paris, France
Additional Details
- Only projects clearly referencing the theme Le temps de l’invention and specifically the early invention period (1820–1850) will be evaluated.
- Techniques may range from historical processes to fully contemporary tools, including AI.