Preus Museum Open Call 2026: Win a Solo Exhibition at Oslo Negativ Photo Festival
Submit up to 15 photographs or one photographic series relating to the theme "Passion" for a chance to win a solo exhibition at Oslo Negativ Photo Festival 2026.
Does this fit your work? 5 questions score every call to your medium, location and budget. Free.
Get matched →- Deadline
- 7 days left
- Entry fee
- Free
- Award
- Cash prize NOK 20,000, solo exhibition at Oslo Negativ Photo Festival 2026, acquisition into Preus Museum permanent collection, full exhibition production, curatorial support, production and shipping costs covered, artist talk opportunity, and international exposure.
- Location
- Oslo, Norway
- Exhibition window
- Oct 10, 2026 → Oct 25, 2026
- Applicants notified
- Aug 1, 2026
About
Overview
Preus Museum, Norway's national museum of photography, invites photographers worldwide to submit projects for its 2026 Open Call in collaboration with Oslo Negativ Photo Festival. The selected winner receives a solo exhibition during the 2026 festival, a monetary prize, and inclusion in the museum's permanent collection.
Theme
The theme for 2026 is "Passion." Organizers encourage artists to explore passion in all its complexity—from love, beauty, curiosity, courage, and creativity to obsession, fanaticism, excess, devotion, conflict, and polarization. Applicants may interpret the theme freely through documentary, conceptual, fine art, experimental, or other photographic approaches.
What to Submit
- Up to 15 individual photographs, or one photographic series containing up to 15 images
- Both standalone images and cohesive photographic series accepted
- Projects must clearly relate to the theme "Passion"
- Include a project statement explaining how your work connects to the theme
- Only one project per artist or collective
Eligibility
Applications are open worldwide to international and Norwegian artists of all nationalities and ages, including professional, amateur, emerging, and established photographers, as well as artist collectives.
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 16 August 2026
- Winner announced and all applicants notified: August 2026
- Oslo Negativ Photo Festival: 10–25 October 2026
- Solo exhibition of the winning project: October 2026
Fees
Application fee €10.
Awards & Benefits
- Cash Prize: NOK 20,000
- Solo exhibition at Oslo Negativ Photo Festival 2026
- Acquisition of the winning work into Preus Museum permanent collection
- Full exhibition production by Preus Museum
- Curatorial support and exhibition design in dialogue with the artist
- Production costs covered by the museum
- Contribution toward artwork shipping (when applicable)
- Best efforts by the museum to cover travel expenses for the winner to attend the festival
- Opportunity to present an artist talk during the festival
- International exposure through Norway's largest photography festival
- Promotion through festival and museum communication channels with full artist credit
Selection Criteria
The jury, consisting of curators, photography professionals, and representatives of the Oslo Negativ Photo Festival board, will evaluate submissions based on artistic quality, originality, visual strength, and the project's engagement with the theme. Due to high volume, individual feedback will not be provided.
Additional Information
Submitted projects cannot be edited after final submission. If the selected artist prefers to produce their own exhibition prints, Preus Museum will contribute toward production and shipping costs. The museum reserves curatorial flexibility in designing the exhibition to suit the historic architecture of the Old National Gallery. Images from the selected project may be used for promotional purposes related to the exhibition and festival, with full artist credit.
- Award
- Cash prize NOK 20,000, solo exhibition at Oslo Negativ Photo Festival 2026, acquisition into Preus Museum permanent collection, full exhibition production, curatorial support, production and shipping costs covered, artist talk opportunity, and international exposure.
- Entry fee
- Free to enter
- Entries per artist
- Up to 1
- Theme
- The 2026 call invites photographers to explore "Passion" in all its complexity—from love, beauty, curiosity, and creativity to obsession, fanaticism, devotion, and conflict—with emphasis on authentic human emotion and subjective experience in contemporary visual culture.
- Eligibility
- Open worldwide to photographers of all nationalities and ages; individual artists and collectives eligible.
- Audience
- Open to international and Norwegian artists of all experience levels, including professional, amateur, emerging, and established photographers, as well as artist collectives.
- Format
- Ship your work in
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.