OPEN CALL FOR
PHOTOGRAPHERS
International Photography
Exhibition
Basel | Galerie Sechs
23–30 January 2027
Application Deadline:
31 October 2026
Application Fee:
€55
CURATORIAL
STATEMENT
In a context of total instability, where we direct our gaze becomes not merely a choice, but an act of will. Attention is one of the few tools that still belongs to us. Focusing on a specific object is not an attempt to escape reality. It is a form of subjectivity and a deliberate decision that shifts our stance toward uncertainty.
The project moves away from direct, head-on documentation of crises. We seek photographic practices in which the artist’s perspective becomes a tool for asserting presence. An artist who could document destruction instead turns their gaze toward exploring bodily metaphors, visual codes of memory, the materiality of the everyday, light, or space.
We are interested in works that explore vulnerability, sincerity, and imperfection. These may include depictions of intimate gestures or bodily expression, or a search for lost wholeness through fragments of the environment. We seek unexpected artistic statements that do not offer optimism as an easy answer, but find ways to ground themselves in and engage with reality through a conscious engagement with visual language.
WHO CAN APPLY
This open call is addressed specifically to photographers and artists working with photography whose practice and proposed works engage with the curatorial concept of The Weight of Focus.
We welcome applications from artists internationally at different stages of their careers.
Applications will be reviewed on a curatorial basis. Particular attention will be given to the quality of the artistic practice, the strength of the proposed works, and their relationship to the exhibition concept.
APPLICATION & SELECTION
Application deadline: 31 October 2026
Application fee: €55
The €55 fee is a non-refundable administrative fee covering the processing and curatorial review of the application.
Payment of the application fee does not guarantee selection or participation in the exhibition.
Payment: PayPal (International), Zelle (USA) rukharthub@gmail.com
Note: Please put your first/last name in the description
All submitted applications will be reviewed by the curatorial team of RUKH Art Hub.
Selected artists will be announced and contacted after the application deadline.
Following selection, the curator will work directly with each artist to determine the final work or works to be exhibited, including format, dimensions, presentation and framing requirements within the context of the overall exhibition.
FOR SELECTED ARTISTS
Artists selected through this open call will not be charged an additional participation fee.
RUKH Art Hub will provide:
• Curatorial selection and exhibition organisation
• Exhibition installation coordination
• Announcement across the social media platforms of RUKH Art Hub and Galerie Sechs
• Exhibition press release
• Post-exhibition press release
• Guaranteed minimum of 3 publications in international media
• Professional photography of the opening
• Official opening reception with light refreshments
• Gallery support throughout the preparation and exhibition period
• Coordination and guidance regarding artwork logistics
• Inclusion in the exhibition’s communication and promotional campaign
All transportation, shipping, customs where applicable, framing, printing and other artwork production or presentation costs are the responsibility of the artist.
Please do not produce, print, or frame works specifically for the exhibition before the final selection.
The dimensions, printing format, framing and presentation of each selected work will be discussed with the curator after the complete group of participating artists has been selected and the exhibition layout has been developed.
Production, framing where required, and delivery arrangements for works to Basel will be coordinated with selected artists after selection.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit:
• Portfolio
• CV
• Short biography/artist statement
• Up to 3 photographic works proposed for the exhibition, including image, title, year, medium and dimensions
• A short statement explaining how the proposed works relate to the concept of The Weight of Focus
• Confirmation of payment of the €55 application fee
EXHIBITION
The Weight of Focus
Galerie Sechs, Picassoplatz 4, 4052 Basel, Switzerland
23–30 January 2027
Organised by RUKH Art Hub
ABOUT RUKH ART HUB
RUKH Art Hub is a women-led contemporary art gallery and curatorial platform founded in New York, working with emerging and established artists and connecting their practices with international audiences, collectors, institutions and cultural communities.
Since its foundation, RUKH Art Hub has developed an active exhibition programme in New York and internationally, producing solo and group exhibitions, curatorial projects, art fair presentations, artist talks and cultural collaborations.
Our programme includes exhibitions in Tribeca and SoHo, New York, participation in VOLTA Basel 2025 and 2026, projects during Basel Art Week, international open-call exhibitions, and collaborations with galleries and independent art spaces across the United States and Europe.
Application Deadline:
31 October 2026
Selection Results:
After the application deadline
Application Fee: €55