Fokus Award 2021 – Application

EJAlbum has the pleasure of inviting you and of sharing with you once again the emotions of a hugely important event for Albanian photography, one we have been part of practically since its beginnings. So, as every year, this time in its 12th edition, comes the international photography competition and festival, FOKUS AWARD. The city of Fier will once again host Albanian photographers, both local and from across the region, along with many photographers and art lovers from the wider region. On the foundations of a genuine festival, Fokus Award naturally seeks to spark debate, to inspire, to grow the community around it, but even more, it aims to build a flow of thought around authenticity and courage in photography. The difficult moment we continue to find ourselves in makes us all the more responsible for organising events of this kind, which are already increasingly rare, yet increasingly important for Albanian art and culture. This year too, the curatorial group, with the public call announced in May 2021, invites photographers to take part based on the following theme and concept:

FOKUS AWARD 2021 #MONO

In a world that has transformed into an alluring vortex, turning us more into objects than subjects, the real challenge today is “subtraction”. To reduce, to consume, to thin down, to strip away the crust, to grind down to the essence. To stay away from surface stimuli, alone in your own uniqueness. Mono, as the root of a thousand different words from one another, but as an artistic stance aimed at reaching the essence.

This is the invitation and the theme of Fokus Award 2021.

About “Fokus Award 2021”:

The “MONO” exhibition is the main event of the Fokus Award 2021 festival and will be shown, as every year, for two weeks at the Art Gallery in Fier, starting on 29 September 2021. Everyone is invited to take part, with no restrictions, with one to three photographs at a resolution of at least 300dpi for the 50x70cm format, accompanied by the necessary information. Participating photographs must not have been exhibited before. They will be selected and evaluated by the Artistic Board. The International Jury, to be announced after the deadline for submitting photographs closes, will select the winning photograph of “MONO”. Printing, matting, exhibition and the catalogue of “Fokus Award 2021” will be handled by the festival organisers. Participating photographs retain full authorial rights.

Photographs must be submitted by 31 July 2021.

FOKUS AWARD 2021

ORGANISED BY: “Albania Fokus Centre” / With the Financial Support of: the Municipality of Fier and BenArt Print/ In partnership with the Fier Art Gallery, the Antik Association and EJAlbum / Artistic Director: Arben Alliaj / Project Manager: Saimir Ahmeti / Curatorial Board: Burim Myftiu, Osman Demiri, Elton Koritari. The competition jury will be announced at the opening of the exhibition.

The Governing and Curatorial Board organises the festival, selects the winners and curates the exhibition. The international jury will select the competition's winning photos. First prize carries a monetary value of 1000 USD. The exhibition will then, as always, continue its itinerary, being shown also in Kosovo, North Macedonia, etc.

For further information or to send your photographs, mail at: focus@fokus-al.com / info@ejalbum.com

To reach the festival organisers, tel. +355693949167, +355696472272

EJAlbum invites you to take part in this important competition. You will be kept informed continuously throughout the exhibition, the festival and its activities.