Open call and travel grant

Taxed to the Max…at least you are not afraid to live life on the brink of chaos.

Taxed to the Max, the 26th edition of the International Photography Festival of Noorderlicht, takes place from October 5 till December 1, 2019 in Groningen, the Netherlands. “Taxed to the Max” examines the societal tensions created by international conglomerates with their vast accumulations of capital and their influence on national and global politics. How does the increasingly perfected entanglement of corporatism, finance capital and modern government affect the lives of regular people?

Taxed to the Max deals with the increasing political weight and capital of transnational corporations and the resulting pressure on political, public and private spheres. They are seemingly unshakeable strongholds with market shares exceeding the national budget of entire countries. To what extent are elected political bodies still sufficiently empowered to supervise or curtail the global transactions of business entities that are not bound by state borders and jurisdiction? And what role can and do citizens still play within these dynamics? 

Taxed to the Max aims to foreground the narratives of individual people grappling with political and economical movements that remain largely invisible or out of reach, yet who are facing the direct consequences in their daily lives and are constantly asked to ‘do the right thing’.

Open call & travel grant
Taxed to the Max seeks out photographers and artists whose work reveals the costs of widespread acceptance towards the effects of a governance catering to rather than scrutinising the interests of the privileged elites. We specifically invite submissions that focus on the unseen, unspoken, hidden, or ignored social, political and human consequences of neoliberal and corporatist policies. We aim to foreground the narratives of people grappling with political and economical movements that remain largely invisible or out of reach, yet who are facing the direct consequences in their daily lives and are constantly asked to “do the right thing.” 

Last not least: Capitalist and state forces control the reach, voice and evolution of photography and others in the media industry. How can photography expose the forces it depends on for its very existence? And even if you manage to raise a voice, the persistence of cognitive bubbles makes them almost impossible to penetrate. How can one reach an audience that refuses to hear or insists to misread what you are saying out loud? Can a visual festival with a broad audience such as this act as a platform for and a place of exchange between artists, activists and open-minded citizenry?

Submissions
Taxed to the Max will encompass a mix of research carried out by Noorderlicht and open submissions. Taxed to the Max speaks of global issues that affect everyone. Therefore, Noorderlicht welcomes proposals from photographers, affiliated artists and curators from any part of the world, of any age and nationality. Relevant subjects not mentioned here or contrasting perspectives on the festival theme are equally welcome. Neighbouring lens based art forms such as digital media, video or VR are also emphatically in the picture. 

Travel Grant
This year, Noorderlicht has created a mobility grant, which funds the travel costs of 2-3 participating artists within Europe to the festival. The recipients of this grant, to be selected from the open call, will be invited to present their work in person during the opening weekend. The grant covers tickets and accommodation for one night in Groningen. Please indicate in your submission if you want to be eligible for this program. 

Deadline 
Proposals can be submitted until May 15, 2019. 

Submission guidelines
Submissions to the open call are free. Selected artists will receive a fee according to the Dutch guidelines for artists fees. Noorderlicht endorses the Fair Practice Code of conduct for work in art, culture and creative industries. 

Please read the Submission Guidelines and the Exhibition FAQ on our website before filing your submission.