Changeable, unstable, omnipresent: today’s image has become a structural element of our daily lives, a continuous flow that moves through us and defines us. It’s from this reflection that Liquida Photofestival takes shape, a project we know well, born within what Zygmunt Bauman called “liquid modernity,” where even photography stops being a static object and becomes a flexible, porous language in constant redefinition. Submissions for photographers are open until February 13, offering a concrete opportunity to engage with one of the most attentive contexts for contemporary photography in Italy.

Today everyone is both author and viewer, immersed in a visual dimension that works as a universal code of connection. Photography becomes ephemeral, mobile, almost mental: less tied to materiality and increasingly close to an immaterial condition, ready to shift in form and meaning. In this scenario, shaped by digital dynamics and an ever-evolving imagination, Liquida Photofestival positions itself as a point of reference, capable of capturing the state of contemporary photographic research at the very moment it appears, without freezing it into rigid definitions.

The festival takes shape as a space for observation and exchange, able to intercept the many directions photography is taking today: from authorship to critical reflection on the image, all the way to the involvement of professionals and new talents taking their first steps in this unstable yet fertile ecosystem. Liquida thus becomes a place where images flow like a river—sometimes forceful, sometimes gentle, but never the same—following unpredictable trajectories. Artistic direction is led by Laura Tota, and the project fits within the broader context of Paratissima, long attentive to emerging languages and new forms of visual expression.

Within Liquida Photofestival 2026, several open calls are dedicated to contemporary photographers. The Exhibition section will showcase the most compelling projects among those selected, with prizes that include solo and group exhibitions in partner venues and events. Alongside this, Liquida Grant will award the strongest and most experimental proposals with a group show and a solo show hosted within the festival, as well as further opportunities including exhibitions in partner locations, editorial publications, and moments for deeper discussion.