OPEN.CALL.
TO PHOTO GRAPHERS

R2I is looking for 5 PHOTOGRAPHERS to join the list of 10 who will participate in R2I 2025 Residency Program from 27.8-12.9.2025 in Ithaca-GR.

Return2Ithaca is a unique artist residency program that brings together selected Greek and International photographers for a 15-day immersive experience on the Greek island of Ithaca. Participants will engage with esteemed curators, who will provide valuable feedback and insights into their projects. This residency offers artists the opportunity for an exploration of the Odyssey’s profound themes, including its significance as a ‘’cornerstone of human modernity”. Inspired by these themes, artists will either develop existing projects or create new works that resonate with the residency’s core concept.

Ithaca also serves as a platform for presenting the work of prominent photographers from around the globe. The residency encourages dialogue and exchange on pressing social, environmental, racial, and cultural issues that impact contemporary photography and art. It is a vibrant space where collaborative teamwork blends with moments of solitude, allowing for both creative exploration and personal reflection.

2025 Theme: “There and Back Again”

This year’s theme invites participants to reflect on the essence of journeys - whether physical, emotional, or intellectual - and the transformative stories that unfold along the way.

As reference for the theme and the concept we suggest the C. Cavafy’s Poem ‘Ithaca’

Why Apply?

Return2Ithaca is more than an artist residency - it is a space for deep reflection, creative growth, and meaningful connections with fellow artists from across the globe. Participants will have the chance to present their work to a global audience while gaining inspiration from the island’s mythological and cultural essence.

What Makes the Residency Unique?

Mentorship: Participants work with internationally renowned curators, gaining valuable insights, reviews, and mentorship. Past curators include Marina Paulenka (DE), Alejandro Castellote (ES), Thomas Licek (AT), and Krzysztof Candrowicz (PL). Bio here

Collaborative Experience: Engage in team interactions, workshops, and guided tours while enjoying time for personal creative development.

Focus on Critical Themes: Discuss social, environmental, racial, and contemporary issues in photography and art which concern the world today.

What we offer:

• Accommodation: Shared twin rooms at the Center of Environmental Education. The Center is facing the sea and it is located at the port of Vathy in Ithaca. Some rooms share a common bathroom. Breakfast for 15 days.

• Learning Opportunities: Lectures on the Odyssey, Ithaca’s history, and its cultural significance. This challenge invites artists to draw inspiration from a piece of global cultural heritage. The aim is to reinterpret and reimagine this heritage through personal expression and contemporary techniques.

•  Island Exploration: Guided tours of Ithaca’s paths and interactions with locals to uncover historical narratives and family retrospectives.

•  Creative Development: Workshops and discussions with the curators evolving the initial idea of the depiction of Odyssey and ending with the building or developing of the project. One-on-one sessions with curators to refine personal projects.

•   Public Exposure:

-  Promotion of the events through www.return2ithaca.gr , return2ithaca

Facebook, Instagram and Media.

-  Invitation letters to whom may request.

-  Exhibition or projection of the final works organized by the R2I team.

-  The cost of presentation material, printed or projected, will be covered by the organizers.

Note: Travel and /or additional accommodation costs are covered by the participating Photographers.

How to get in Ithaca: More information here

Participant Commitments:

• Provide all the material requested by the organizers: A CV, including a portrait photo, date of birth & nationality of the participant, samples of their personal work in the set deadlines.

• Attend all events and activities during the residency.

•  Stay on the island for the entire duration of the Residency.

•  Offer an artist’s talk and present their retrospective work to the public

  during the event.

• Participate in every event both in person and online meetings with the

curators.

- Deliver a final body of work and accompanying materials connected to the main concept of the program (artist statement, high-resolution images) by agreed deadlines (There is no obligation to deliver the work during the Residency).

- Participation in exhibitions, or projections, or printing editions that will follow the Residency Program is obligatory.

Rights and Disclaimers:

•  Photographers retain copyright of their work.

• Selected works may be used (with credit) for R2I’s promotional materials

  and media coverage.

•  Participants are responsible for their insurance and medical coverage during the residency.

•  For more information, visit: return2ithaca.gr

•  We would wish the participants to become ambassadors and explore the

  journey, create impactful work, and become part of Ithaca’s legacy!

  The Jury

  Arianna Rinaldo (Independent Curator IT) – Nina Kassianou (Artistic Director of R2I Residency Program GR) – Moritz Neumüller (Curator, Educator & Writer in the field of Photography & New Media) – Sandra Maunac (Independent Curator ES) Βio here

  Eligibility: All International and Greek Photographers
  
  Submission of Works for the Open Call: By the 16th of February 2025

- Up to 2 Portfolios with 8-12 photographs each of a specific theme, forming a personal photographic view.

- An artist statement (300 words max) for each of the submitted portfolios and a short CV (300 words max)

Submission Details:

- Send portfolios, CV & statement in one single file by email up to 10 MB to: opencallithaca@gmail.com

- Mail subject: "Residency2Ithaca 2025" and your name
- File analysis: 20 photos max, in a file of 10 Mb max
- Participation Fee: 25 euro. By PayPal here
- Selection: Five selected photographers will participate in the

Residency that will take place in Ithaca Greece from 27th August to 12th September 2025

Announcement of selected artists: By end of March 2025

Authorizations & Rights

• Copyright over each entry remains the property of the photographer.

•  Participants must confirm that they are the authors and copyright owners of all images/work submitted and that their work does not infringe the privacy, copyright, or any other rights of any person.

•  By participating, you provide the permission to organizers to use the selected entries, for publications, for the website, social media and/or any promotional material, being credited and only this kind of use (any commercial request will be arranged by the Author). Images from each selected entry may be released to the press to illustrate an article or report that reviews on the Open Call and the organization will not be required to pay any additional fee or request any additional approval in relation to such use.

  Personal Data

  Publication of personal data:
  The entrant agrees that their full name, place of birth and respective URL may be published in relation to their submission.
  
  Insurance disclaimer.
  For all the participants of the Residency, insurance and medical coverage for the duration of the residency are the responsibility of the individual participating residents.