Organizer Information
Urban Coincidence is a Glasgow-based public art initiative operating as a city-wide visual intervention that transforms everyday photography into large-scale urban displays. The project is supported by Creative Scotland, a national development agency for the arts and creative industries in Scotland, which funds experimental and socially engaged cultural practices.
Rather than functioning as a traditional gallery-based exhibition platform, Urban Coincidence operates within the infrastructure of the city itself. It intervenes directly into public advertising spaces, replacing commercial billboards with curated photographic works. This positions the project within a broader context of contemporary Public Art, socially engaged visual culture, and urban media critique.
The initiative is structured as an open, participatory platform that invites contributors from diverse backgrounds to submit photographic works reflecting lived urban experience. By foregrounding accessibility, the project removes conventional barriers to entry in Photography, encouraging participation from both professional and non-professional image-makers.
Title & Description
Urban Coincidence — Glasgow Photography Poster Campaign Open Call
Urban Coincidence is a city-wide open call and public exhibition project that transforms Photography into a distributed urban intervention. The project invites contributors to submit images that capture moments of everyday life that feel unexpected, humorous, uncanny, emotionally resonant, or visually striking within ordinary environments.
The central aim is to reframe the visual language of the city by replacing advertising imagery with photographic representations of lived experience. Selected works will be printed as large-scale posters and displayed across Glasgow in spaces typically occupied by commercial advertising, creating a temporary visual disruption within the urban landscape.
The project seeks images that document the subtle tensions and textures of everyday life: moments of stillness, absurdity, repetition, beauty, or fragmentation within routine environments. Rather than emphasizing technical perfection or formal composition, the open call prioritizes authenticity, narrative depth, and observational sensitivity.
Up to 20 images will be selected for public display over a two-week installation period. Each selected image will become part of a city-wide poster campaign, transforming public space into an open-air exhibition. Posters will include a discreet QR code that links to a digital map, revealing the geographic distribution of works across the city and inviting audiences to explore the installations as a connected visual network.
This hybrid structure—combining physical posters and digital mapping—extends the project beyond traditional exhibition formats and positions it within contemporary experimental Exhibition and participatory media practices.
Categories
- Photography
- Visual Arts
- Public Art
- Site-specific Installation
- Urban Intervention
- Participatory Art
Eligibility
- Open to all applicants internationally (no geographic restriction stated)
- Suitable for amateur, emerging, and professional photographers
- No formal training or professional background required
- Submissions accepted from all ages (no restriction stated, but standard consent assumed for minors via guardians if applicable)
- Emphasis on accessibility and inclusive participation
- Artists, photographers, and visual storytellers from any background are encouraged to apply
Program Benefits & Awards
- Inclusion in a city-wide public Photography poster campaign in Glasgow
- Professional printing of selected images at no cost to participants
- Outdoor exhibition of works across high-visibility urban advertising spaces
- Two-week public display period across multiple city locations
- Integration into a curated public art intervention supported by Creative Scotland
- Digital mapping feature linking audiences to all displayed works
- Production and formatting support for print preparation (if selected)
- Wide public visibility in non-institutional urban environments
This is a non-monetary opportunity focused on visibility, public engagement, and spatial exhibition rather than financial compensation.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Up to 3 photographic images
- Each image must include:
- Short written description
- Location of capture
- Brief narrative or story behind the image
- Standard-resolution image files are accepted for initial submission
- High-resolution files will be requested after selection for printing
- Optional additional documentation may include contextual notes or series titles (not required)
How to Apply?
Applications can be submitted via email: photographypostercampaign@gmail.com
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 7 June 2026
- Exhibition Period: Approximately 2 weeks (post-selection in 2026, exact dates not specified)
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Additional Details
Urban Coincidence operates as both an artistic platform and a conceptual critique of urban visual culture. By replacing commercial advertising with photographic storytelling, the project challenges dominant narratives of consumption and aspiration embedded in public space.
The open call encourages contributors to think of photography not only as documentation but as a form of urban storytelling. Images may reflect humor, irony, intimacy, contradiction, or emotional resonance within everyday environments.
The project is particularly interested in how ordinary moments—often overlooked—can be reframed as meaningful visual narratives when placed within a collective public context.
This second iteration builds on a previous edition of the project, expanding its scale and reinforcing its commitment to accessible, participatory image-making practices.