Photo Contest
1st BAUHAUS4EU Photography Contest for Students
We are inviting all students from the ten BAUHAUS4EU universities to unveil their talents and inner perceptions of their study surroundings through photography. We challenge you to look beyond surface aesthetics, carefully observe, capture and reveal the often-invisible forces that bind people together: spaces, moments, and relationships. Our Jury comprises professionals from each of our ten BAUHAUS4EU universities, who will review the entries and select the winning photographs and stories.
"Inclusive Grounds: Stories of Belonging and Resilience”
The topic of the 1st BAUHAUS4EU Photography Contest focuses on how the campuses reflect our Alliance’s shared mission of resilience, sustainability, inclusivity, and beauty.
| Open Call for Student Submission: | 20 Oct – 14 Nov 2025 |
| Announcement of the three winners: | 8 Dec 2025 |
| Course of Action: | Phase I: Open Call Phase II: Each jury member picks three photographs from their own university for Phase III Phase III: Independent review by all jury members of the 30 finalist photographs |
| Prizes: | 1st Prize: participation in the BAUHAUS4EU Forum in Katowice + backpack with goodies + special campaign promoting the photo and the author + Publication across BAUHAUS4EU partner institutions’ social media + Official BAUHAUS4EU Certificate of Achievement 2nd Prize: participation in the BAUHAUS4EU Forum in Katowice + backpack with goodies + Publication on B4EU website and social media + Official BAUHAUS4EU Certificate of Achievement 3rd Prize: backpack with goodies + Publication on B4EU website and social media + Official BAUHAUS4EU Certificate of Achievement |
Take a picture and tell us your story of inclusion, care, and belonging for the #B4EUPhotoContest!
General Specifications
- Be enrolled as a student for the academic year 2025–2026 in one of the following partner universities: Université Lumière Lyon 2 (ULL2), Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, University of Economics in Katowice (UEKat), University of Bergamo (UniBg), Polytechnic University of Castelo Branco (IPCB), University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG), Polytechnic University of Tirana (POLIS), University of Macedonia (UoM), Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) or Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV).
- Students are required to submit their work using their own official university email address. Submissions sent from personal or non-university email accounts will not be accepted and will result in disqualification.
- Each participant can submit one (1) entry photo for one of the four categories resilience, sustainability, inclusivity or beauty.
- Photos must be original, unpublished works created by the participant.
- Each photo file name must include the (short version of the) photo title, name of the author, category, date taken, (example: quiet joy_Kim Smith_inclusivity_17102025.jpg) and a brief description (max 100 words) as part of the submission form provided under "How to Submit".
Technical Specifications
- Photos should be submitted in high-resolution digital format (minimum 300 dpi, JPEG)
- Maximum file size per image: 5 MB.
- Color or black-and-white images accepted.
- Minor digital editing is allowed (color correction, cropping, etc.), but no heavy manipulation or compositing.
Judging Criteria
Entries will be evaluated based on:
- Relevance to the theme.
- Creativity and originality.
- Technical quality (composition, lighting, focus).
- Emotional and narrative (storytelling) impact - how the photo tells a story that connects with others.
Submission Form
All students are required to submit their official photographs using their university-issued email addresses. Submissions sent from personal email accounts (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook) will not be accepted or acknowledged. Students must ensure that all submissions are made via the designated institutional email addresses listed below for each partner university:
| Bauhaus-Universität Weimar | bauhaus4eu[at]uni-weimar.de |
| UEKat | bauhaus4eu[at]uekat.pl |
| ULL2 | bauhaus4eu[at]univ-lyon2.fr |
| UniBg | bauhaus4eu[at]unibg.it |
| IPCB | b4euphotocontest[at]ipcb.pt |
| UACEG | bauhaus4eu[at]uacg.bg |
| POLIS | bauhaus4eu[at]polis.al |
| UoM | bauhaus4eu[at]uom.edu.gr |
| BTH | bauhaus4eu[at]bth.se |
| UPJV | bauhaus4eu[at]u-picardie.fr |
Theme: “Inclusive Grounds: Stories of Belonging and Resilience”
In today’s rapidly transforming world, spaces are no longer just physical containers - they are living ecosystems of interaction, care, and transformation. The photo contest under the theme “Inclusive Grounds: Stories of Belonging and Resilience” invites students from the ten BAUHAUS4EU Universities and from diverse fields -arts and humanities, social sciences, economics, management, architecture, engineering, design, and information and communication technologies- to turn their cameras toward the spaces, moments, and relationships on their campuses that embody inclusion, care, and collective transformation.
The photo contest “Inclusive Grounds: Stories of Belonging and Resilience” turns its gaze to the university campus as a living environment, a place where people from diverse cultural, social, and disciplinary backgrounds come together not only to learn, but to live, interact, and co-create. Campuses are not just physical spaces; they are dynamic landscapes where architecture, nature, and community intersect to shape daily experiences of inclusion, care, and belonging.
Students are encouraged to explore how the spaces of their universities -classrooms, libraries, labs, dormitories, cafeterias, gardens, hallways, courtyards- become grounds for resilience, sustainability, inclusivity, and beauty. How do these everyday environments support well-being, foster collaboration, welcome difference, and create moments of shared purpose; from student initiatives and intercultural encounters to accessible design and sustainable practices, the campus becomes a stage where the values of BAUHAUS4EU come alive, not just as ideals, but as lived realities visible in the textures, relationships, and rhythms of academic life.
The photo contest asks participants to look beyond surface aesthetics and capture the often invisible forces that bind people together like: a bench designed for conversation, a ramp that signals welcome, a moment of quiet support between strangers, or even a youth group reclaiming space for expression and voice. Finally, it calls on students to become visual storytellers of their own environments. It asks them to document how their campuses, as local sites within the BAUHAUS4EU Alliance, reflect the shared mission of resilience, sustainability, inclusivity, and beauty.
Resilience
Resilience is not just about endurance; it’s about adaptation, recovery, and renewal. The photo contest aims to explore how university spaces help students and academic communities bounce back and thrive: How campuses support mental health, social connection, intercultural dialogue, and youth empowerment in the face of challenges like migration, climate change, economic hardship, or social isolation? What makes a university not only withstand adversity but transform it into a source of collective strength and growth?
Sustainability
Sustainability is understood in a broad sense, encompassing not just environmental, but also social dimensions. How do inclusive environments promote long-term well-being, intergenerational connection, and equitable resource sharing? It is highlighted that a sustainable space is one where all voices matter, and no one is left behind.
Inclusivity
Inclusivity is about creating environments where differences are not just tolerated but embraced. This means architectural and urban designs that ensure accessibility, but also social designs that foster participation, representation, and care.
Beauty
Beauty, in the BAUHAUS4EU vision, is not superficial decoration but a deeper aesthetic of meaning, connection, and purpose. Inclusive Grounds challenges participants to see beauty in shared experiences, in gestures of solidarity, in the quiet poetry of everyday life. It asks: Where can we find beauty in human-centered transformation, in spaces that welcome, heal, and empower?
Dr. Sonia Jojiç (POLIS)
Head of Department of Art & Design at POLIS University
Based in Tirana, Dr. Sonia Jojiç works across photography, visual research and design education. Head of Art & Design Department at POLIS University, Tirana, she has been actively involved in shaping a contemporary approach to visual studies and spatial storytelling. Jojiç academic background is rooted in visual culture and the study of urban identity, fields that strongly inform both her teaching and artistic practice.
Her photographic work often returns to the idea of the city as a living archive—one where memory, transformation and everyday aesthetics intersect. Projects like Liminal and her ongoing visual reflections on Tirana’s shifting landscape do not simply document change; they observe how space influences the way communities remember, move, and emotionally navigate their surroundings. Rather than treating photography as a static medium, she approaches it as a way to read and interpret the silent narratives embedded in urban form.
Dr. Jojiç frequently collaborates within cultural and academic contexts, contributing to conversations around contemporary visual practice, design pedagogy and the role of imagery in constructing meaning. Balancing her roles as educator and practitioner, she brings to the jury a perspective grounded in both critical observation and visual sensitivity, with a particular interest in how images can articulate nuances that theory alone cannot fully capture.
Malin Altenby Larsen (BTH)
Senior Lecturer and Planning Architect at the Department of Spatial Planning at Blekinge Institute of Technology
Malin Larsen is a senior lecturer, planning architect, artist, and former principal of the vocational education Hyper Island. Since 2022, she has been a lecturer at the Department of Spatial Planning at BTH, with a focus on urban space, typologies, and place-based analysis, emphasising design methods and visual communication.
Malin Larsen is passionate about developing students’ ability to understand and represent complex urban environments through mapping, sketching, and analysis.
Malin Larsenhas an international background, including planning assignments for Ikea in various parts of the world. With many years of experience in the education sector, creative leadership, and visual design, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work.
Fred Boucher (UPJV)
Director of Diaphane, Centre for Contemporary Art of National Interest at Université de Picardie Jules Verne
Fred Boucher founded Diaphane (Photography Hub in the Hauts-de-France region) in 1991, where he serves as Director. Diaphane promotes photography throughout the region by organising exhibitions, hosting artist residencies, publishing photography books, and developing numerous visual education initiatives through photography.
He is also the founder and artistic director of the Photaumnales Festival in Beauvais (since 2004) and the Usimages Biennial in Creil (since 2015), which is dedicated to industrial photography.
Since 2008, he has headed Diaphane Editions, the organization’s publishing house.
Fred Boucher is co-president of the Diagonal Network of photography centers in France and has been appointed correspondent member of the Photography Section of the Académie des Beaux-Arts.
A graduate of the Ecole Nationale de la Photographie d’Arles (1986), he is also an associate artist in photography at the Faculty of Arts, University of Amiens.
Assist. Arch. Alexander Chernev (UACEG)
Faculty of Architecture, Department of Public Buildings at University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy
Born in 1996.
Graduated with a degree in Architecture from the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG), Sofia in 2022. From architecture, he developed a dilettantism toward many other arts and fields — from robotics and programming to music, cinema, and photography. Before his university position, he worked with computer numerical control (CNC) systems, and later served as a set designer (also known as an architect of stage/scenic designs).
Currently, he serves as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Public Buildings and is the supervisor of the Photography Laboratory at UACEG, which focuses primarily on experimental and analog photography.
Julia Albrecht (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar)
Artistic Associate at the Professorship Photography
Julia Albrecht, an Artistic Associate at the Professorship Photography at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, works at the intersection of artistic practice, education, and research. Her work explores how photographic and generative image cultures shape perception, visibility, and value in contemporary society.
In her teaching, she focuses on studio-based inquiry and critical experimentation, encouraging students to question dominant aesthetics and to view friction, imperfection, and failure as creative strategies. Her current research examines the role of AI-driven image systems within visual culture, approaching them not only as tools of creation but as frameworks for reflection and care. The studio becomes a space of negotiation between technology, material, and human perception where new forms of seeing and knowing can emerge.
Julia completed her Media Art and Design studies at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and earned a Master’s in Fine Art Photography from the Royal College of Art in London. She also gained international experience at TAMK University in Tampere, Finland, as well as at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Emmanuel College in Boston, USA.
Ilona Ptak (UEKat)
Assistant, Department of Communication Design and Analysis at University of Economics in Katowice
Ilona Ptak, Journalist at Polish Public Television (TVP) since 2006 (regional program editor, reporter, drone pilot). A graduate of Journalism at the University of Economics in Katowice and the University of Silesia. Since 2021, an academic teacher at the University of Economics in Katowice, in the field of Journalism and Social Communication. The owner of the company "Lotne Media" which produces television reportages, advertising and podcasts. Award-winning in journalistic and film competitions, including the Association of Polish Journalists Award: 1st place of Adolf Bocheński category (2021), distinctions in the "Watergate" category for investigative journalism (2023, 2024); a distinction in the Silesia Press Award (2019), a distinction at the Documentary Film Festival "Nurt" (2021), 2nd prize and double distinction at the Mountain Film Festival "Adrenalinium" (2024, 2023).
Neel Vipinchandra Naik (IPCB)
Specialist in audiovisuals and media production at Polytechnic University Castelo Branco
Neel Naik is a creative director, producer, and educator with over twenty-five years of professional experience in film, television, photography, and new media, and more than fifteen years of teaching experience in higher education. He specializes in production, directing, cinematography, editing, and visual storytelling.
He is currently a Visiting Associate Professor at the School of Applied Arts (ESART) – Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, where he teaches cinematography, editing, direction, audiovisual production, and photography. He has directed and produced more than 150 projects across several continents, including documentaries, educational and institutional films, advertising, and short films.
In addition to his academic work, Neel is the founder of RA Atelier, a creative production company focused on film, television, and emerging media. He has also served as a curator and jury member for various photography exhibitions and competitions.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from CEPT University (Ahmedabad, India), a Master’s degree in Film and Television Production from the University of Bristol (UK), and a Specialization in Audiovisual and Media Production from the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (Portugal). He is currently pursuing a PhD in Media Artsat the University of Beira Interior.
Neel is a researcher at TECHN&ART – Technology, Restoration and Arts Enhancement Center, Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, with research interests in non-fiction cinema, new media, and socio-cultural perspectives in audiovisual production.
Jad Bou Assi (ULL2)
Specialist in audiovisual and media production at Université Lumière Lyon II
Rooted in a strong academic background with a Bachelor's degree in Television and Film from the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Jad Bou Assi deepened his expertise by earning a Master’s degree in Cinema and Audiovisual Media / Photographic Studies and Creative Practice (Cinéma et Audiovisuel / Études et Créations Photographiques) from Université Lumière Lyon 2. Throughout his projects, Jad’s artistic vision is deeply informed by themes of social justice, activism, and self-questioning, reflecting a commitment to exploring complex human experiences and societal challenges. As a Director of Photography, he has contributed to several independent films—both documentary and fiction—including Present Past (2019) by Nour Halabi, Divina (2022) by Marion Genty, and Aurora (2024) by Lino Morteveille, developing a strong command of light, composition, and atmosphere.
Alongside his creative practice, Jad has built significant experience in institutional visual production and live event recording, working both as a freelancer and as part of the USAID-funded Outreach and Civic Engagement Program (OCE) at LAU Beirut. Now based in Lyon, he is part of the audiovisual team at Université Lumière Lyon 2’s Communications and Events Department (DIRCOME), where he continues to develop a multidisciplinary practice grounded in image-making and video production, balancing technical expertise with artistic exploration.
Eleni Sideri (UoM)
Assistant Professor at Univerity of Macedonia
She completed her PhD in Social Anthropology at SOAS/University of London. She did extensive field research in the Caucasus, the former Yugoslavia and Greece. She taught social anthropology in various departments and has published in several languages. Her academic interests include: ethnographies of the Black Sea and the Caucasus, transnational migration and diasporas, politics of culture in cinema. In 2023, she published the monograph of Coproducing Europe. An Ethnigraphy of Film Markets, Identity and Creativity (Berghahn Publishers).
Adriano D'Aloia (UniBg)
Associate Professor of Cinema, Photography, Radio, Televesion, and Digital Media, Department of Letters, Philosophy, Communication at Università degli Studi Bergamo
Adriano D’Aloia is Associate professor of film photography and audiovisual media at the University of Bergamo, where he teaches Theories of Film and Photography and coordinates the Visual Media Lab. His research explores the relationship between perceptual experience image technologies and immersive media with particular attention to embodied representation and processes of spectator identification. In recent years his work has focused on post-photography investigating the transformations of the photographic medium in the age of digital dematerialization and as a relational and performative practice within the framework of embodied and enactive perception. He has curated special issues and published essays on contemporary photography and post-media visual culture in international journals.
Regulations B4EU Photography Contest
Rights and Usage
- Participants retain copyright of their works.
- By submitting, participants give to BAUHAUS4EU Alliance the right to use the photos for promotional and exhibition purposes with full attribution to the participant.
- Photos will not be used for commercial purposes without additional consent.
Ethical and Legal Guidelines
To ensure the ethical integrity and legal compliance of the exhibition, all participants must adhere to the following conditions:
- Permission & Access: Photographs taken on private property, in institutional settings (such as schools, universities, hospitals, etc.), or involving recognizable individuals must be taken with prior permission from the relevant authorities or persons. Participants are responsible for securing these permissions.
- Data Protection & Privacy: If images feature identifiable individuals, participants must ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or other applicable data protection laws. Subjects should be aware that their image is being used and provide informed consent where necessary.
- Copyright & Ownership: All submitted photographs must be original works owned by the photographer. By submitting, participants confirm they hold the copyright or have secured the necessary rights to submit and exhibit the image. Any third-party elements (e.g., artworks, designs) included in the photographs must also be cleared for use.
- Entries not adhering to technical or thematic requirements may be rejected.
Failure to comply with these standards may result in disqualification from the exhibition. These measures help uphold the integrity of the project and respect the rights of all involved.
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