Funding & creative support2 open opportunities listed
About the foundation
The International Mute Photo Festival is a biennial photography event based in Greece that operates without a fixed theme, instead inviting artists to respond to the concept of 'mute'—understood as silence, erasure, or the unspoken. Founded in 2015 by a collective of Greek and international photographers, the festival emerged as a counterpoint to the increasingly loud and commercialized photography circuit. Its core mission is to provide a contemplative platform for lens-based practices that resist easy narration or spectacle, emphasizing work that engages with absence, stillness, and the limits of visual language. Each edition unfolds across unconventional venues in Athens and Thessaloniki, including former industrial spaces and public sites, fostering a decentralized and durational experience rather than a conventional exhibition format.
Funding opportunities
2 listed
Application guidance
Artists should approach the festival with a cohesive body of work that engages with the theme of 'mute' in a nuanced, non-literal manner. The selection committee favors projects that demonstrate a strong conceptual framework and a thoughtful use of the photographic medium, often including text, installation, or book forms. Submissions are accepted via an online portal; there is no entry fee, but selected artists are responsible for production and shipping costs. The festival offers limited travel stipends for the exhibition opening. Given the high volume of applications, it is advisable to submit early and ensure that all visual materials are professionally documented. The curators value statements that articulate the work's relationship to silence, erasure, or the limits of representation without over-explanation.