Open Call Finalists

Elina Heikka is an art historian, freelance curator and writer specialized in photography. In the period 2007-2023, she was the director of The Finnish Museum of Photography - one of the key institutions in contemporary photography in the Nordic countries. Before the photo museum Heikka was working as a researcher at the Finnish National Gallery and as editor-in-chief of a photography magazine Valokuva. In 2023, she was part of the curatorial team of the Nordic photo exhibition Søsterskap at the Rencontres d´Arles photography festival and in 2024 she was artistic director of the Encontros da Imagem photo festival in Braga, Portugal. Elina Heikka is based in Helsinki and Lisbon.

Herman Seidl studied communication science and Romance studies at Salzburg University as well as artistic photography at Salzburg College. He is a freelance photographer whose activity includes applied and artistic works.
Currently based in Salzburg, he has lived and worked on photo projects in Italy, France, Germany and USA. Herman Seidl has curated many exhibitions at FOTOHOF Salzburg, one of the leading institutions for photography in Austria. He is also the author of numerous books released by German and Austrian publishing houses.

Nadine Weixler studied photography at the Muthesius Academy of Arts, Kiel. Since 2017 she has been a member of the board at Fotohof Salzburg. She has chaired the association since 2021. Nadine Weixler also works as a curator, artist and photographer. Her work is included in many public collections. She lives and works in Salzburg and Vienna.

Paolo Woods is a documentary photographer, filmmaker and curator. He is the author of eight books and his work is widely exhibited. He works on long-term projects that focus on subjects that are crucial for understanding the world we live in but difficult to translate photographically. His projects include A Crude World tackling the subject of the oil industry, Chinafrica where he documented the spectacular rise of the Chinese in Africa, Walk on my Eyes, an intimate the Iranian society, STATE on what happens to a society when the state collapses, The Heavens which is a unique photographic investigation into the workings of tax havens. In 2021 he published HAPPY PILLS, with Arnaud Robert, on how pharmaceutical companies sell us happiness. HAPPY PILLS is also his first film released in 2022. In addition to his role as the Artistic Director of the festival Cortona On The Move he is one of the founders of the magazine Kometa in France. He is co-founder of RIVERBOOM, a collective and publishing house that explores the limits of the photographic language.

Rui Prata has a degree in History from Porto University, and postgraduate degrees in Fine Art direction from Escola Superior Artistica do Porto, and in Curatorial & Contemporary Museology from Porto Fine Arts University.
Rui Prata began his professional career as a history teacher (1980-1998) and was the Director of Braga Image Museum (1998-2015). He was co-founder (1987) and Artistic Director of Encontros da Imagem Photo Festival until 2013. At Encontros da Imagem he managed national and international projects creating a large network of contacts.
Since 1990 he has lectured on contemporary photography throughout Europe and in Brazil, and acted as a curator for both national and international exhibitions. Prata is a long term portfolio reviewer for international festivals and has also contributed to several conferences all over the world. In 2019 he created a new photo festival – IMAGO LISBOA – of which he is artistic director.

Sebastian Albert is a Salzburg-based creative professional with expertise across multiple disciplines. As a board member of FOTOHOF and independent practitioner, he bridges technical innovation with cultural engagement. His background includes an MA in Photography with Distinction from the University of Hertfordshire, though his practice has evolved to encompass IT development, digital transformation, and cultural project management. This interdisciplinary approach allows him to contribute unique perspectives to projects at the intersection of technology, culture, and social change. Albert's work exemplifies the value of versatile thinking in addressing contemporary challenges.

Shirley Clerkin has over 25 years of active engagement at the intersection of environmental policy, civil society, local government, and the national government in Ireland. For an extended period, she served on the National Sustainable Development Partnership - Comhar, and contributed significantly to the Irish Wetlands Ramsar Committee. She took on the inaugural chairperson role for the National Network of Heritage Officers in Ireland.
Shirley has served as the Irish representative and Chair of an EU Open Method of Coordination initiative formulating a policy on Sustainable Cultural Tourism. Additionally, she has contributed to the Environmental Science program at the University of Galway and as a facilitator for the Heritage Keepers community programme. In 2023, she pursued advanced studies in communications at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership. Currently, she is in the process of completing a Climate Entrepreneur programme at Trinity College Dublin.
Most recently, Shirley Clerkin has taken on the pivotal role of Project Manager for Tóchar - Ireland's Just Transition Wetlands Restoration Scheme, further demonstrating her commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.
Shirley Clerkin is a member of Photo Museum Ireland’s Sustainability Advisory Panel.

Tanya Kiang studied Communications at Dublin City University, where she majored in Photography. She graduated with Distinction in 1985, and held a variety of positions including teaching Informatics, installing early internet systems and freelance art writing.
In 1991 she took up the position of Editor of Circa Art Magazine, Ireland’s leading journal of visual culture. She has led Photo Museum Ireland as its Director since 1998, becoming Senior Curator in 2022. Photo Museum Ireland is the national centre for contemporary photography. With over twenty-five years experience, Kiang has curated exhibitions by many of the world’s major photographers, and has a keen interest in developing the audience for contemporary photography through publications, outreach and experimental digital projects. She is a jury member on numerous international photography panels and is a regular reviewer at international photofestivals. Together with her colleague Trish Lambe, she secured EU co-funding for Project Groundswell - a four-partner project which aims to make the diverse forms of climate action more visible in the public imagination.

Trish Lambe has overall responsibility for exhibition curation and artistic programming at Photo Museum Ireland - Ireland’s national centre for contemporary photography. With over 25 years experience in this field, Trish Lambe has spearheaded the development of the museum’s artists' archiving initiative and her curatorial practice is particularly concerned with social and political issues in Ireland. She has secured funding for many projects including the Reframing the Border 5-year cross-border programme and the In Our Own Image survey of contemporary photographic practice. She is the founder of the Museum’s ongoing Photo Album of the Irish social engagement project which explores the particular power of vernacular photography in contemporary culture. She is a nominator for many national and international artists awards and commissions including the Deutsche Borse Prize and the Prix Pictet.

Veronica Nicolardi is a graduate in Management Engineering, and works on the conception and realisation of cultural events, exhibitions and photography festivals, following all their vital production processes. She seeks funding from public and private institutions and creates partnerships and stakeholder networks. She focuses on engaging audiences, from fans to tourists and the local community, and creating innovative cultural programmes. In 2016 she co-founded OTM Company that works in the world of photography in all its fields. Since 2021 she has been the Director of Cortona On The Move, an international photography festival, a reference point for experts in the field and for a national and international public attentive to contemporary culture. In 2022 she cofounded Yeast Photo Festival together with members of the cultural associations ONTHEMOVE and BESAFE, taking over as its co-director. In 2023, she co-founded OTM Gallery.

Veronica Nicolardi is a graduate in Management Engineering, and works on the conception and realisation of cultural events, exhibitions and photography festivals, following all their vital production processes. She seeks funding from public and private institutions and creates partnerships and stakeholder networks. She focuses on engaging audiences, from fans to tourists and the local community, and creating innovative cultural programmes. In 2016 she co-founded OTM Company that works in the world of photography in all its fields. Since 2021 she has been the Director of Cortona On The Move, an international photography festival, a reference point for experts in the field and for a national and international public attentive to contemporary culture. In 2022 she cofounded Yeast Photo Festival together with members of the cultural associations ONTHEMOVE and BESAFE, taking over as its co-director. In 2023, she co-founded OTM Gallery.

Veronica Nicolardi is a graduate in Management Engineering, and works on the conception and realisation of cultural events, exhibitions and photography festivals, following all their vital production processes. She seeks funding from public and private institutions and creates partnerships and stakeholder networks. She focuses on engaging audiences, from fans to tourists and the local community, and creating innovative cultural programmes. In 2016 she co-founded OTM Company that works in the world of photography in all its fields. Since 2021 she has been the Director of Cortona On The Move, an international photography festival, a reference point for experts in the field and for a national and international public attentive to contemporary culture. In 2022 she cofounded Yeast Photo Festival together with members of the cultural associations ONTHEMOVE and BESAFE, taking over as its co-director. In 2023, she co-founded OTM Gallery.