ABOUT IMA next
IMA next is a photography competition open to anyone who wishes to participate. Every month, one theme and one judge from various backgrounds and practices will be announced. The winner will be awarded with a cash prize along with a feature on IMA Online, IMA magazine or with possible opportunities to exhibit his/her works at other occasions organized by IMA.
This is essentially a platform that offers the chance for one of your photographs to open its wings and learn to fly away into the world of art photography.
It may be your carefully designed and thought-through photographs taken with your favourite camera or it may also be an accidental shot with your smartphone that turned out to be a great image. Anything is welcome. Our aim is to discover new talents from all over the world through IMA next.
PRIZES
| Grand Prix | 100,000 JPY Cash Prize (A selection of prices opportunities below depending on the nature of your work) ・Exhibition at IMA Gallery ・Participation rigft to the art fair， Photo Camp (Once a year. For 2019, it is now planned for October) ・Free participation to the Step Out! portfolio review (Once a year) ・Feature on IMA magazine ・Exposure on IMA Online and IMA official SNS |
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| Shortlist | ・Exposure on IMA Online and IMA official SNS |
GUIDLINES
IMA next is a photo competition that aims to support emerging photographers to succeed in the art photography world.
| How? | Please chose the theme you would like to enter for and fill out the appropriate submission form. Make sure you chose the right form as it is different depending on each theme. 1～5 can be uploaded for each entry, however in that case, all your photographs in the entry will be judged as 1series. If you would like to submit multiple series, please make another entry. There is no limit to the number of entries per theme. |
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| Who? | The applicant must be older than 16 years old. Otherwise, anyone is welcome! We have no restriction in terms of your nationality, age, gender or experience (Professional/Amateur). |
| How long? | For each theme, there will be 2 months submission period. Once every month, a theme will be announced and the submissions will open. |
| Entry | Fee 2000JPY per each entry |
| Upload Regulations | ・All submissions need to be still photographs, no moving images will be accepted. All sorts of post-production process are allowed. ・DVD/Blue-Ray submissions will be rejected. ・If the submitted work is deemed non-photographic, it may not be judged. ・The submission of 1 ~ 5 images of 10MB each are possible for 1 entry. ・Any work that violates the rights of a third party (copyright, trademark right, portrait rights) cannot be submitted. If the work includes anything created by a third party (art work, films, photographs, music…etc.) and if it may concern any other rights, there is a need for you to have gotten permission from all party involved before you enter. |
ENTRYSubmissions
In IMA next, one theme will be announced each month. Each theme will then be judged by a professional in the creative industry.
1～5 entries are allowed for each theme.
THEME 02
2019JUL
“STILL
LIFE”
COPYRIGHT Harumi Shimizu
“Still Life” has always been a fundamental theme in painting. The recent development of digital technology expanded the possible photographic expression of “Still Life” considerably. It goes beyond the photograph of a still object; the manipulation of the subject, the use of collage or montage, to list a few. Show us how you give life to inanimate objects and broaden the range of this photographic language.
[Submission Period] July 1, 2019 ~ August 31, 2019
[Judge] Bruno Ceschel
Profile
Bruno Ceschel
(Writer, Curator)
He is the founder and director of Self Publish, Be Happy and a visiting lecturer at Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London, and École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL). His latest book, “Self Publish, Be Happy: A DIY Photobook Manual and Manifesto” was published by Aperture Foundation in 2015. He founded Self Publish, Be Happy in 2010, and has since organised events at leading arts institutions including Tate Modern (Britain), Kunsthal Charlottenborg (Denmark), MoMA PS1 (United States) and the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia), and published books by Lucas Blalock, Carmen Winant, Lorenzo Vitturi and many more. Ceschel gives lectures and workshops internationally, and also consults leading companies interested in contemporary photography.
THEME 03
2019AUG
“NOW”
COPYRIGHT Yoshinori Mizutani
At this time, when everything is constantly changing, how do you see the “now”?
This word, “now”, is defined as anything that falls between the past and the future. It may be the fleeting moment in your everyday life, the newest items, events, a state of mind or emotion. It can be understood in many ways. We would like you to show us your “now” interpreted through photography.
[Submission Period] August 1, 2019 ~ September 31, 2019
[Judge] Lesley A. Martin
Profile
Lesley A. Martin
(Creative director, Aperture Foundation and publisher of The PhotoBook Review)
She has curated several exhibitions, including The Ubiquitous Image and Aperture Remix, a commission-based exhibition celebrating Aperture’s sixtieth anniversary, and has edited numerous photobooks, including Rinko Kawauchi’s “Illuminance”, LaToya Ruby Frazier’s “The Notion of Family”, and “Stephen Shore: Selected Works 1973–1981”. In addition to her work on “The Chinese Photobook”, she was a contributing editor to “Japanese Photobooks of the 1960s and ’70s” and “The Latin American Photobook”. Her writing on photography has been published in Aperture, FOAM, IMA, and Ojo de Pez, among other publications. In 2012, she co-founded the Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards. She currently teaches a graduate course on photobooks at the Yale University School of Art.
THEME 01
2019JUN
“VOICE
OF
NATURE”
COPYRIGHT Risaku Suzuki
Just as the humans are part of nature, nature has been affecting our lives since the dawn of time. In its many forms, such as the flora and fauna, mountains, oceans, microorganisms… nature has soothed us at times and threatened us at others. In such a way, it talks to us using its many voices. How do you hear these voices? How do you understand them? We are waiting for your answers from your photographs!
[Submission Period] May 31, 2019 ~ July 31, 2019
[Judge] Risaku Suzuki
Profile
Risaku Suzuki
(Photographer)
Born in 1963, Shingu City, Wakayama, Japan. In 2000, he was awarded the 25th Kimura Ihei Award with his book, “Piles of Time”. He has published many books such as “Water Mirror” (produced by Fine-Art Photography Association, published by Case Publishing), “Étude” (SUPER LABO), “SAKURA” “White” (edition nord), “Between the Sea and the Mountain” (amanasalto), “Atelier of Cézanne” (Nazraeli Press), “Kumano, Yuki, Sakura” (Tankosha). He now teaches a course on intermedia art at Tokyo University of the Arts.
INTERVIEW
Yoshinori Mizutani
The artist’s challenge to go overseas through presenting own works via social media.
