New free photography open call for photographers
Mythography 6
Jupiter, and BacchusThe photographic and editorial series Mythography, created by Exhibit Around and curated by Professor Enrico Medda, returns with its sixth volume dedicated to Jupiter (Zeus) and Bacchus (Dionysus).
These two deities, so different yet complementary, offer photographers an extraordinarily rich narrative field: from the rule of reason to the loss of control, from the ordering lightning bolt to the liberating ritual. Mythography VI invites authors to interpret these gods through a contemporary visual language, bringing ancient myths into our present with new aesthetics, symbols, and perspectives.
Deadline 31st January, 2026
Mythography Vol. VI: Jupiter, Bacchus
The cultural associations Exhibit Around APS and dotART are launching the photographic Open Call for the sixth volume of Mythography, dedicated to Jupiter (Zeus) and Bacchus (Dionysus), and invite photographers to reinterpret their mythological essence through a contemporary lens.
The project
Mythography is a series of photographic volumes that, each year, explores Greco-Roman myths through the reinterpretation of the themes associated with each deity.
Each volume becomes an international photobook and a collective exhibition, accompanied by events, talks, and meetings during Trieste Photo Days. Mythography VI invites photographers to reinterpret, in a contemporary and personal way, Jupiter — sovereign of the sky — and Bacchus, the god of ecstasy, two deities who embody the duality between liberating transgression and ordering force.
The theme
For Mythography vol. VI, the central reflection revolves around the duality between strength and transgression, embodied by two complementary gods: Jupiter and Bacchus. The former rules over the sky and thunder and is guardian of order and justice; the latter bursts forth with ecstasy, ritual, metamorphosis, and untamed nature.
Jupiter – Sovereign of the gods and guarantor of cosmic order, Jupiter represents power, responsibility, and authority, but also the constant tension between stability and fragility. He rules the sky and everything beneath it, master of light, thunder, and truth. In photography, he invites exploration of majesty and power through street photography, dramatic landscapes, atmospheric shots, and images that capture hierarchies, structures, and dynamics of strength.
Bacchus – God of wine, ecstasy, and transformation, Bacchus embodies liberation, the breaking of conventions, and intoxication, overturning rules and unleashing creativity. He invites exploration through street photography, nightlife reportage, performance, expressive portraits, and images that celebrate fluidity of identity, self-expression, and queer experiences, capturing movement, color, and emotional intensity.
Who Can Participate
The open call invites photographers from all over the world to submit single images, projects, and portfolios inspired by the themes of Mythography VI. Selected works will be exhibited in a major international show during the 13th edition of Trieste Photo Days, taking place in Trieste at the end of October 2026.
The photos
Each author is free to infuse their own stylistic signature into the work and to choose the photographic approach that best suits their practice. Submissions may address multiple themes. Whether it is a single image or a complete project/portfolio, all works must draw inspiration from the themes of the gods Jupiter and Bacchus, embodying their respective symbolic connections to order and power, chaos and loss of control.
Get inspired: discover the deities
The descriptions of the gods and their related symbolic themes in Mythography vol. VI were curated by Enrico Medda, Professor of Greek Literature at the University of Pisa, consultant of the series and editorial curator of the volume.
Each description is accompanied by a gallery of reference images designed to visually evoke the atmospheres suggested by the themes. Photographers are encouraged to unleash their imagination and interpret the deities and their symbolism freely, fully exploring their personal visual style.
Jupiter/Zeus
Jupiter/Zeus is the supreme god of the Greek and Roman pantheon, who rules over the world after having overthrown his father Saturn. Lord of the luminous sky, but also of lightning and storms, his power pervades the cosmos and manifests itself in varied forms. He is an inflexible guardian of justice and protector of guests and suppliants. Husband of Hera/Juno, he nonetheless remains an unrepentant seducer, capable of resorting to the most varied stratagems to unite with goddesses and mortal women, by whom he fathers mighty and valorous sons such as Perseus and Heracles. Man turns to him in times of need, as father of the human race, and the god does not disdain at times to descend into the world of men incognito to test their moral worth.
Bacchus/Dionysus
Dionysus/Bacchus, although present in the Greek pantheon from the most archaic period, was perceived by the Greeks as a god who arrives from outside and brings to ordered daily reality the shock of an uncontrollable transgression of codified norms. God of wine and inebriation, he is also a deity in perpetual transformation, who can assume different forms, leading his faithful to experience for themselves the possibility of becoming Other. He was venerated in the form of a mask, and over time became the god of theater, that is, of the art form that transforms the actor into someone else. His cult, which brought his followers to the enjoyment of the pleasures of nature and sex, appealed to deep layers of human experience, with moments of ecstasy and trance and an inexhaustible charge of creativity.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The call is open to everyone, with free registration and no cost for inclusion in the exhibition or the book if selected. To submit your work, register or log into your Exhibit Around user area at my.dotlogic.net, select Mythography VI, and follow the instructions for Single Photos and/or Projects/Portfolios.
UPLOAD PHOTOS
Prizes
Following a precise curatorship work, the Best Author of the project and the Honorable Mentions will be selected .
The awards ceremony will take place during the Trieste Photo Days 2026 at the end of October.
For more details on the prizes, please visit our prizes overview page or learn more about the artist on Giorgio Celiberti’s official website.
Exhibit Around will select:
- Best Author – “A unique STELE by artist Giorgio Celiberti” and a featured exhibition at Trieste Photo Days 2026, and 15.000 PhotoPoints.
- A featured interview in text and/or video format highlighting the winning photo or project/portfolio, with related promotion through social media and blog post
- Free 2-night stay in Trieste on the occasion of the presentation of the photographic volume Mythography VI as part of Trieste Photo Days 2026 (23, 24, 25 October)
- Invitation to the Authors' Dinner on Friday, 23 October as part of Trieste Photo Days 2026.
- Honorable Mentions – “A unique silver SIGILLO by artist Giorgio Celiberti” and a featured exhibition at Trieste Photo Days 2026, and 8.000 PhotoPoints.
- Remarkable Rewards – “A unique bronze SIGILLO by artist Giorgio Celiberti” and 4.000 PhotoPoints.
A curated exhibition featuring the works of the Best Author, Honorable Mentions, and top photographers will be held at one of Trieste’s most historically significant venues, located in the heart of the city in the presence of the special guest. After the festival, the Mythography VI book will also be available free of charge as a PDF for all.
ANY DOUBT? - FAQ
You may want to know...
Where and when will my photos be on display?
A selection of the best photos could be exhibited in an international collective exhibition at the end of October 2026 as part of Trieste Photo Days 2026.
Is participation free?
Participation in the Open Call is free.
Participation in the Open Call is completely free, as well as participation in the photographic exhibition and in the book.
We remind you that Exhibit Around is a social promotion association, therefore it is not for profit. Logistics, photo printing and exhibition organization expenses will be borne by Exhibit Around APS and dotART cultural association.
What technical characteristics must the photos have?
A candidate photo will be selected as the cover. Authors wishing to submit their photo explicitly for the cover should add the word "cover" to the name of the uploaded file.
Photos must not contain signatures, watermarks, watermarks or frames. Images must be in '.jpg' format and the color mode must be RGB. The size of the single file must be less than 9 MB while the dimensions required for the photos are:
- minimum 2000px short side
- maximum 6000px long side
The file name must not contain special characters but only letters and/or numbers.
Who owns the rights of the candidate photos?
Each photographer retains the moral and intellectual property rights on their works submitted for the call. Each author grants the Exhibit Around and dotART association the non-exclusive right to use the winning / selected images to promote and/or advertise the association's non-profit activities, subject to official communication to the author (whose name will always be attributed to the 'Opera).