Helsinki Photo Festival theme in 2020 is Trust! Call for artists is open now!

Helsinki Photo Festival is pleased to announce their third open call! Everyone from all over the world is invited to submit their work(s) in the festival theme Trust. 

We challenge photographers and artists of all ages to share with us the connections you see with our theme, in imaginative, creative expressive interpretation. Artists will need to write as part of their submission an explanation of how their work fits with the theme.

Trust is essential to life, it opens up new and unimagined possibilities. Trust is one of the most prevalent topics in our society.

What is Trust? How can Trust be perceived in visual language? How can we consciously feel Trust? What do we consider trust to be and can it be regained? Can Trust change our life and how would such a transition affect our existence? How can communities acknowledge differences while building unity? As prejudices continue to divide us, how can Trust encourage accountability and solidarity? As institutions lose credibility, the environment is changing critically, what do people do to ensure that their wishes and desires are taken seriously and delivered? What role does truth play to Trust in friendship, family or love? What happens if you lose Trust in society or humanity? In fact, there are many examples, how to interpret and associate with Trust.

We aim to select +40 artists works to exhibit in solo- and group exhibitions during the festival period, July 7th-September 9th 2020. Entries are handled by photography professionals and curators enhancing the programming, aesthetics, artistic and cultural expressions as well as the quality of the overall production. The deadline for the call for artists is, 16 April 2020! As a selected artist of the Trust theme, your work will be exhibited at Helsinki Photo Festival 2020. The exhibitions will take place in historic landmarks, warehouses, libraries, art centres, galleries, parks and waterfront areas in Helsinki.The other highlight of the festival is the Nordic Village, an exhibition format supporting emerging and groundbreaking Nordic photographers. Since 2018, this project has selected and showcased over 20 artists from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland. In 2020, the Nordic Village expo will be set up in the outdoor premises of the National Museum of Finland / Kansallismuseo. All selected photographers have the great opportunity for being promoted to a broad, dedicated audience, critics, photo editors, curators, gallerists, art buyers and publishers: Apply through Picter: https://contests.picter.com/helsinki-photo-festival-trust-2020


Helsinki Photo Festival ry is a Finnish non-profit association and a photography platform advancing interest and disseminate information on photography. The main initiative is to increase visibility for contemporary photography through events and learning activities that allow the participants the opportunity to develop their project and their artistic independence. Photo enthusiasts and artists are invited to join a community to meet and interact with gallery owners, photo editors, curators, publishers and world-renowned photographers.