FORMAT23 OPEN Call

Description

The FORMAT Open Call is an integral part of FORMAT’s ethos and existence; constantly providing us with a close-up view of the freshest and most exciting artists operating within contemporary photography right now. Being on the receiving end of these incredible submissions is both a privilege and a joy. Each year we have seen more and more submissions – always increasing in quality. The FORMAT open call is a springboard for launching the careers of some incredible artists and we will continue to work to ensure the support and exposure provided through this opportunity continues to reach new artists and strives towards being a more accessible opportunity for all. 

This year the OPEN Call received 979 submissions and nearly 15,000 images from 72 countries across 6 continents. 26 projects have been selected by the FORMAT/QUAD curatorial team following recommendations and selections from our international jury. These projects all truly explore and push the boundaries of What Photography Can Be.  

Open Call Selected Artists: Antone Dolezal (US); Too many Pictures (France); Terje Abusdal (Norway); Alex Davenport (UK); Crystal Bennes (UK); Sheung Yiu (Hong Kong/Finland); Joanna Vestey (UK); William Lakin (UK); Md Fazla Rabbi Fatiq (Bangladesh); Wai Hang Siu (Hong Kong/UK); M'hammed Kilito (Morocco); exsample (Germany); An Su (China/UK); Joshua Phillips & Benjamin McDonnell (UK); Maryam Wahid (UK); The Sustainable Photobook Publishing (SPP) network (UK); Ngadi Smart (Sierra Leone); Curator: Peggy Sue Amison (Germany) with Artists: Adrian L Burrell (US), Rana Young (US), Tanya Habjouqa (Jordan/US), Matthew Thorn (Australia), Derik Lynch (Australia), Pádraig Spillane (Ireland), Aideen Barry (Ireland), Arko Datto (India) and Katrin Koenning (Germany/Australia); Theo Ellison (UK); Philippe Braquenier & David De Beyter (Belgium); Claudia Amatruda (Italy); Phillipa Klaiber & Michael Swann (UK); Yzza Slaouoi (Morocco); Craig Ames (UK); Pratya Jankong & Olga Fedorova (US); Curator: Helen Starr (UK) with Artist: Kinnari Saraiya (UK). 

The FORMAT23 OPEN Call will be showcased in various venues across the city including: QUAD, City Lab, Déda and University of Derby, Markeaton Street. 

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to our open call award sponsors who continue to support both the festival and a new generation of artists through their generosity. And of course, our incredible international jury of experts which includes: Azu Nwagbogu (NG), Wang Peiquan (CN), Wang Xueke Isabella (CN), Brett Rogers OBE (UK), Skinder Hundal MBE (UK), Wang Baoguo (CN), Brian Griffin (UK), Bindi Vora (UK), Varun Nayar (US/IN), Sophie Gladstone (UK), Suzanne Tromp (NL), Jae-hyun Seok (KR), Alessia Glaviano (US), Gemma Marmalade (UK) and Louise Fedotov-Clements (UK).