International Photography Contest: Raccont’Arti Contemporary Photography Award 2026

Latvian photographers and visual artists have the opportunity to participate in Raccont’Arti: Contemporary Photography Award 2026—a free international competition whose winners and finalists will be exhibited in Castelfiorentino, Italy.

The competition is now open, and its 2026 theme is:

“Beyond the visible: the image of absence”
or “Aiz redzamā: prombūtnes attēls.”

Can participants from Latvia enter? Yes.

Raccont’Arti is defined as a free international open call for photographers and visual artists. This means that the competition is international and open to artists from Latvia as well.

Participation is free

✅ Entry fee: none
✅ The competition is international
✅ Photographers and visual artists can participate
✅ Applications are submitted via the Picter platform

This is one of those competitions worth entering, as it offers both a cash prize and a real exhibition, yet there is no entry fee.

Competition theme

The 2026 theme, “Beyond the visible: the image of absence,” invites artists to explore absence not as a void, but as layers of space, time, memory, and traces.

Works on the following topics would be well-suited here:

* abandoned or quiet places;
* human traces in space;
* memory, loss, and waiting;
* a landscape after an event;
* silence, emptiness, and the invisible;
* documentary or conceptual photography.

This is not a theme limited to “beautiful pictures”—this competition is better suited for artists with a strong concept, visual language, and a well-thought-out series.

Categories
The competition has two categories:

Open — for all artists and photographers.
Student — for students, art school students, or artists who have graduated within the last year.

Prizes
The winner of the Open category will receive:

💶 €3,000
🖼 participation in a group exhibition in Castelfiorentino, Italy
📚 publicity on the competition’s communication channels
🏛 the opportunity for the work to be acquired for the Ente Cambiano and Banca Cambiano 1884 collection

The winner of the Student category will receive:

💶 €500
🖼 participation in a group exhibition in Castelfiorentino

In total, the exhibition will feature 2 winners and 8 finalists—four finalists from each category.

Submission Deadline

⏳ Entries may be submitted until October 15, 2026.

The deadline listed on the application page is October 15 at 9:59 p.m.

Why should Latvian photographers participate?

This competition is particularly interesting for those who work with contemporary photography, art projects, conceptual works, or visual stories that go beyond a single beautiful image.

Key benefits:

✅ free entry
✅ international competition
✅ open to participants from Latvia
✅ €3,000 grand prize
✅ actual exhibition in Italy
✅ Suitable for both photographers and visual artists
✅ A great opportunity for artists with a strong series or conceptual work

ProPortfolio.lv’s Review

We definitely recommend this competition.

It meets all the key criteria: participation is free, the competition is international, participants from Latvia are welcome, and the prize is substantial enough to make it worthwhile to prepare a high-quality submission.

👉 Official information and application: site.picter.com/raccontarti-contemporary-…

ProPortfolio.lv — a place where Latvia’s creative professionals come together.