The Charta Award is open to artists who incorporate the photographic medium in their artistic practice and have produced a project that could be printed in the book format. The theme of the award is open. We are looking for projects that underline an original narrative and use of contemporary language. Artists are invited to send a folder consisting of a minimum of 30 images and a synopsis that includes the author’s name, as well as the title and the description of the project. The artists are encouraged to include an edited PDF that could help the jury to better understand the project. The winning project will be published by Yogurt Editions in an edition of 500 copies.
This year, Artphilein will be a partner of the festival and will select one of the shortlisted artists to present a solo exhibition in its space between April and May 2027.
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Submissions Guidelines
— Who can apply?
International artists who have an unpublished original project. An unpublished project is a project that has never been published in a printed format such as a book or a fanzine, etc. Reviews, articles, or online publications are not considered published projects.
The artists therefore must declare that:
- the work submitted has never been published by a publishing house.
- if the work was previously self-published, then it must have been published in less than 15 copies. Please note that the projects printed in less than 15 copies, but with a registration number (ISBN), will not be taken into consideration.
— Terms & conditions
The following conditions are mandatory for the winner of the First Prize:
- The book will be produced and published by Yogurt Editions in an edition of 500 copies.
- Yogurt will work freely on the design of the book and decide the selling price.
- Yogurt will bear the expenses of production, project management and sale of the first edition.
- The artist will receive 30 free copies of the book and 10% royalties on copies sold, with a six-monthly report.
- The proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Yogurt Editions.
- The artist who will need more than 30 copies will be able to purchase them from the publisher at a 40% discount on the sale price (maximum of 100 copies).
— How to submit
The application fee is € 25. Early-bird discount: € 15 until 30/04/2026
Participation is confirmed by sending an email to award@chartafestival.com containing a SwissTransfer link with the following materials:
- a folder with minimum 30 images from the same project
- a PDF file with the title of the project, artist’s name and email, and the project synopsis
- a signed copy of the publishing contract
- the payment receipt for the participation fee
- Optional: An edited PDF of the project to help the jury better understand the work.
— Deadline
Only projects received by July 25, 2026, at 6 pm (CET) will be accepted in the competition.
— Copyrights
The artist declares to be the owner of all copyright and usage rights of the images. By signing the contract, the rights to use the images of the selected project will be given free of charge to the association Associazione Culturale Paper Room, which is the tax entity on which Yogurt bases it’s self, organizer of the Charta Festival. This copyright transfer will be valid only for the fi rst edition of the book and the associated online and offline communication.
Subscription fee
Pay the registration fee and send the payment receipt.
Yogurt is an independent reality that manages and organizes the Charta Festival. In this context, it is responsible for curating and selecting projects, as well as evaluating applications and awarding prizes.
Artphilein is an organization based in Lugano dedicated to contemporary photography. Through exhibition and curatorial activities, it supports emerging and established artists. As part of the 2026 Charta Award, Artphilein will host an exhibition of the winning project.