PHotoESPAÑA PRO
Talent behind the camera
If you’re a photographer looking for new opportunities to boost your career and bring it to the fore, take part in PHotoESPAÑA PRO Talento a bordo. An initiative designed to boost the photography scene and serve as a bridge between creators and role models, seeking to encourage the professional growth of national and international photographers. Are you in?
Iberia, through Talento a bordo, and PHotoESPAÑA join forces to develop a new networking initiative: PHotoESPAÑA PRO. A key space for the professional development of photographers looking to become established in the field of contemporary photography. When? On the 12th and 13th of June 2025. On two intensive days, the 30 photographers selected will have the chance to present their projects to international experts, establish strategic connections and receive advice from influential industry figures. Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger (director of the Finnish Museum of Photography), Marina Paulenka (director of exhibitions at Fotografiska Berlin), Geannine Guimaraes (commissioner at Guggenheim New York / Bilbao) or Lisa Springer (commissioner of international programmes at V&A Museum) are among the professionals who have been confirmed. As well as shining a spotlight on those selected, the event will contribute to revitalising the sector, serving as a bridge between creators and worldwide role models of the visual arts.
A unique platform for those selected to shine a light on their projects, receive expert advice, broaden their professional horizons, explore new opportunities, and establish their international presence
The personalised sessions that PHotoESPAÑA PRO Talento a bordo will offer will include international specialists in art and photography, including museum directors, commissioners, editors, gallery owners and collectors, who will critically analyse the projects presented. During these sessions, photographers will have access to new collaboration opportunities with prestigious institutions which will boost their career projection and allow them to establish key connections for their growth. Also, those selected will attend a dialogue between two Spanish professionals who will address the institutional context in the current photography landscape. The programme will also include informal moments for networking, like breakfasts, lunches, and a farewell cocktail, designed to encourage interaction and strengthen relationships in a more relaxed environment.
Beyond this professional development, Iberia will select one of the 30 photographers to develop a photographic series which will be exhibited in urban spaces in Madrid within the framework of the official 2025 PhotoESPAÑA section. This recognition broadens the artists’ projection by including their work in a highly visible circuit and by bringing photography closer to the general public.
An inclusive international programme
To ensure diversity and accessibility, Iberia and the other cultural institutions involved have set up a grant programme to encourage photographers from different backgrounds to take part: ten grants for Spanish photographers funded by Iberia, plus one more for a photographer residing in the Balearic Islands provided by the Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics; eight grants for Chilean photographers awarded by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage of Chile, and two grants for Dutch photographers offered by the Embassy of the Netherlands.
Dates
Call for applications: until the 21st of April 2025.
Resolution: 24th of April 2025.
Programme: 12th and 13th of June 2025.
Check all the information here.
The collaboration between Iberia and PhotoESPAÑA is part of the Talento a bordo initiative, whose purpose is to connect Spanish talent, in the Spanish language, within and beyond our borders in different disciplines, including photography. Since its launch, Talento a bordo has shone a light on dozens of Spanish photographers: Estela de Castro, Chema Madoz, Lúa Ribeira, Eugenio Recuenco, Pilar Aymerich, Gervasio Sánchez, Isabel Muñoz, Juan Baraja, Lala Serrano or Javier Vallhonrat, among others. The PhotoESPAÑA PRO Talento a bordo initiative reinforces this commitment.
Throughout its history, PhotoESPAÑA has become established as a leading photography festival worldwide, attracting more than a million visitors every year and working with world-renowned international institutions. This programme reasserts its commitment to artistic excellence and the professionalisation of the industry, consolidating a support network for collaboration that will allow the photographers who take part to further their careers and cast their work on the international stage.
