Agnieszka Polska, The Book of Flowers, 2023 Full HD video, 9 min 38 sec © Agnieszka Polska Courtesy Galerie Dawid Radziszewski, Warsaw
This open call is aimed at museums, exhibition centers, galleries, cultural institutes, academies and colleges, libraries, archives, artist studios, off spaces, and project initiatives in the area of photography. The main theme of FOTO WIEN 2025 is dynamic futures. Program partners of FOTO WIEN 2025 can also choose a focus of their own that differs from the main theme.

For more information on the main theme and the open call, consult the FAQs below.

FAQs

  • What is the main theme of FOTO WIEN 2025?

    The main theme of FOTO WIEN 2025 is dynamic futures, an exploration of speculative future scenarios that address the impact of scientific and technological progress on society as seen through the lens of photography.

    What visions of the future are revealed in historical and contemporary images of science and art? How do photography and post-digital technologies influence the way we imagine our future? What ethical and sociopolitical questions do digital and algorithmic images pose?

    As a transdisciplinary testing ground between art, science, and technology, FOTO WIEN 2025 examines photography as a window to the future and offers a rich program of panels, artist talks, and workshops from October 3 to November 2, 2025.

  • How can I participate in the open call, and what is the deadline?

    Project proposals can be submitted until March 25, 2025, on the platform Picter using the following link. Only project proposals that are registered online on the platform Picter by the deadline can be considered.

    For more information on participating in FOTO WIEN 2025, click here for the cooperation agreement.
    Click here to begin submitting your project proposal for the open call.

  • Who can participate in the open call?

    The open call is for museums, exhibition centers, galleries, cultural institutions, academies and colleges, libraries, archives, artist studios, off spaces, and project initiatives in the area of photography.

  • Can projects that are not based in Vienna be submitted?

    No, please note that participation is only possible for participants with their own exhibition venue and/or event location in Vienna.
    The exhibition venue and event location must be specified when the participant applies.

  • What can be submitted for the open call?

    You can submit exhibition projects and special events (performances, book presentations, talks, special tours of storage facilities) that are related to the wide spectrum of photographic images.

  • How much does it cost to participate?

    There is no charge for participating in FOTO WIEN 2025.

    All selected partners participating with an exhibition are obliged to purchase a certain number of copies of the FOTO WIEN 2025 publication at cost (see cooperation agreement). Partners are permitted to sell the publication in observance of the fixed price for books in Austria.

    Small package (project spaces, off spaces, higher education institutions): 15 publications
    Large package (museums, institutions, and commercial galleries):25 publications

  • What are the technical requirements for submitted images?

    The images must be formatted as JPEGs with a resolution of 300 dpi and minimum dimensions of 21 by 30 centimeters. Please provide full captions and copyright information for all images. The images must be suitable for publication in print and digital form.

  • How are projects chosen for FOTO WIEN 2025?

    The projects are selected by a jury consisting of people involved in art and culture as well as the artistic director of FOTO ARSENAL WIEN. All selection processes are confidential.

    Jury FOTO WIEN 2025:

    Lilli Hollein (General and Artistic director, MAK, Vienna)
    Lilli Hollein is the general and artistic director of the MAK—Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna. She previously directed VIENNA DESIGN WEEK, Austria’s largest design festival. She has curated numerous exhibitions on architecture and design, including the Austrian contribution to the São Paulo Architecture Biennale in 2007.

    Ruth Horak (Curator and Writer, Vienna)
    The focus is on the characteristics of photography, its potential beyond its role in conveying news, and the developments of image-creating processes. Ruth Horak has curated exhibitions, organized symposia, and written about photography since the 1990s: www.photography-she-said.com.

    Antje Mayer-Salvi (Head Curator and Founder of C/O VIENNA)
    Antje Mayer-Salvi is head curator and founder of C/O VIENNA Magazine. With her media agency C/O VIENNA Publishing, she also develops and produces texts, books, magazines, documentary films, and videos for the creative sector, scientific institutions, NGOs, and companies. Her focuses are photography, art, design, architecture, fashion, and science.

    Lisa Ortner-Kreil (Curator, Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien)
    Dr. Lisa Ortner-Kreil is a curator at the Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien in Vienna, where she recently organized the exhibitions Anton Corbijn: Favourite Darkness (2025) and Kiki Kogelnik: Now Is the Time (2023). In 2020 she founded art hoc projects, a contemporary art initiative, and she frequently publishes texts on contemporary art with a focus on photography.

    Elfie Semotan (Photographer, New York, Vienna, and Jennersdorf, Austria)
    Elfie Semotan is an internationally acclaimed photographer who has been active in fashion, advertising, and portrait photography since the 1970s. She has worked for magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar, and she has collaborated with Helmut Lang for many years. She has received numerous awards, including the Prize of the City of Vienna for Applied Art (1999) and the Golden Badge of Honor of the City of Vienna (2004).

    Felix Hoffmann (Artistic Director, FOTO ARSENAL WIEN)
    Felix Hoffmann is the artistic director of FOTO ARSENAL WIEN and was head curator at the C/O Berlin Foundation from 2005 to 2022. He has curated important exhibitions including Beate Gütschow (2024), Mari Katayama (2023), and Crossing Lines: Politics of Images (2023). He has published numerous books and articles on photography.

  • When will applicants be notified about the outcome of their application?

    Applicants will receive an email in April 2025 that confirms their acceptance status for participation in FOTO WIEN 2025.