Apply for an exhibition

Having an exhibition at
Photographic Gallery Hippolyte

Photographic Gallery Hippolyte is located in the Design District, Helsinki, opposite Diana Park. Hippolyte has two exhibition spaces, the larger one being the Photographic Gallery Hippolyte and the smaller one Hippolyte Studio. The gallery is maintained by the Association of Photographic Artists.

Exhibition open call (in a nutshell)

Exhibitions are selected through an open call and peer reviewed process.
The call for submissions is open twice a year, in April and October.
We receive an average of 200 applications annually.
Exhibition slots are applied for approximately 1,5 years in advance. This means that in the spring, applications are submitted for exhibition slots in the autumn one and a half years ahead, and in the autumn, for exhibition times in the spring one and a half years ahead.
Applications are submitted through an electronic form. We do not accept applications sent via email or by mail.

Who can apply?

All professional practitioners, artists, artist groups, and curators can apply with an exhibition concept.
Photography plays an important role in the exhibition programme, so proposals are expected to have a connection to photographic art or the extended field of photography more than just superficially.
An applicant may be granted a new exhibition slot at Hippolyte when 5 years have passed between the previous exhibition and the applied-for exhibition slot.
We encourage everyone to submit applications for exhibitions, whether you are at the beginning of your career or have been an experienced artist for a longer period. We welcome a diverse range of applicants.

Next Open Call is in April 2025 for exhibition times in Autumn 2026.

Exhibition spaces

Photographic Gallery Hippolyte is divided into two exhibition spaces: the bigger gallery space, Photographic Gallery Hippolyte (c. 72 m2), and the smaller Hippolyte Studio (c. 13 m2). The larger gallery is about 6,5 metres wide, 10 metres long and 6 metres high (6,5m x 10m x 6m). The approximately 3×4 metres square Studio is c. 2.8 m high. Neither space has windows.

Both spaces are equipped with gallery-grade spotlights, and in the larger space, there are also fluorescent tube lights on the ceiling and along the upper and lower parts of the walls. Neither space has AV equipment nor media players. The exhibitor is responsible for providing any necessary equipment themselves.

There is an open connection from the large exhibition space to the office of the association’s staff located on the mezzanine. Sound and light travel between the large gallery, small gallery and office space. The large gallery space cannot be completely darkened. Also note that any sounds from the artworks displayed in the Studio should be directed to headphones. If necessary, a curtain can be installed at the entrance to the Studio.

Below, you’ll find pictures of both spaces, floor plans, and 3D images.

Exhibition Periods

The duration of an exhibition period is typically four weeks, including the days for installing, dismantling, and the opening reception. Openings are usually held on the Thursday preceding the first day of the exhibition. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm to 5 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 pm to 4 pm. The gallery is closed in July. Additionally, the gallery is closed during public holidays, Easter, Midsummer, Christmas and New Year.

Exhibition Rents

For the period of 2024–2025, the exhibition rents are as follows:

Members of the Association of Photographic Artists

Photographic Gallery Hippolyte: €650
Hippolyte Studio: €280
Both spaces: €930

Others:

Photographic Gallery Hippolyte: €1000
Hippolyte Studio: €280
Both spaces: €1280

The exhibition rents are decided annually by the board of the Association of Photographic Artists. The association aims to moderate the exhibition rents charged to artists each year, although this depends on received subsidies and any potential increase in costs. The association’s future goal is to eliminate exhibition rents and instead implement exhibition fees.

The exhibition rent includes supervision and visitor tracking during the exhibition, staff support during exhibition planning, limited assistance for installing and dismantling days, organisation of the opening reception and provision of non-alcoholic refreshments, documentation and media coverage, press and other contacts, gallery tours, collaboration with the exhibitor in organising any additional events.

Communication and publicity, including poster layout and printing, editing and proofreading of exhibition text and artwork list in collaboration with the exhibitor, text translations (Swedish, English), sending electronic invitations to Hippolyte’s mailing lists, promotion on Hippolyte’s website and social media platforms, and separate event calendars. Printing and postage costs for invitation cards are not included.

The exhibitor is responsible for installing the artworks, transport and insurance of the artworks, personal travel expenses, AV equipment, associated installation costs, and technical support.

The Association of Photographic Artists charges a 25% commission on the net sale price of artworks and sales of additional materials related to the exhibition. Artworks will also be available for sale on the association’s online shop (shop.hippolyte.fi), with the selection of works for sale made in collaboration with the exhibitor.

How to apply

The exhibition time is applied for via an electronic form by the deadline. With one application, you can apply for either the Gallery, Studio, or both (the entire space). The application must be directed to one of the aforementioned spaces, and you cannot apply for one or the other exhibition space with the same application.

The electronic form must include, as a single PDF file, the exhibition application (max. 10 pages), which should contain the following sections:

Concise exhibition plan: 1 page (A4), presenting the exhibition idea and practical implementation
Up to 10 images supporting the overall exhibition concept, including images of previous works or other images (sketches) supporting the exhibition plan
Condensed curriculum vitae

The exhibition concept and elaboration of content are essential parts of the application. The application text should clarify the proposed exhibition’s relationship to photographic art or the extended field of photography, especially when it is not obvious. Additionally, the application should include, if possible, the names of the planned artworks, their completion years, dimensions, techniques, and any other information supporting the understanding of the exhibition as a whole. If the exhibition proposal includes moving images, the application is expected to contain a link to a sample or the entire artwork, which should be viewable online (e.g., Vimeo, Youtube).

Please also mention in your application if you already know or have planned that the proposed exhibition will be presented elsewhere in the Helsinki metropolitan area. We hope to include in our exhibition program works that have not been previously shown in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

NOTE: Attachments must be submitted as a single PDF file. Files can be combined into PDF format here. File naming convention: last name_first name. The maximum file size for attachment is 8 MB. If any of the requested attachments are missing or if the application is significantly incomplete, it will not be evaluated.

The Association of Photographic Artists requests permission for the processing of personal data in connection with the exhibition application. Personal data will not be disclosed to members of the exhibition committee or third parties. The information will be deleted after the exhibition application process is completed and the exhibition selections are confirmed.

Processing of Applications

Applications are processed by an exhibition committee, composed of 3–5 members of the Association of Photographic Artists who are elected by the board of the association. In addition, two visiting evaluators are invited to participate in the reviewing of applications: a rotating association member and an external expert from outside of the association.

The entire year’s exhibition programme is evaluated as a whole, taking into account any exhibitions that may have already been selected. The committee is responsible for curating a programme that showcases photographic art in various techniques, with diverse contributors represented as much as possible. The evaluation is guided by the values and strategy of the The Association of Photographic Artists, as well as the Equality and non-discrimination plan 2021–2024 of the Finnish Artists’ Association.

Exhibition applications are evaluated through peer review. A matrix is used to assist the evaluation process. All individuals involved in the evaluation work are subject to impartiality practices. All applicants are personally notified of the exhibition committee’s decision via email or text message. Decisions for the spring season are aimed to be communicated before Midsummer, and decisions for the autumn season are communicated by Christmas.

The exhibition committee may grant a new exhibition slot at Photographic Gallery Hippolyte when there has been a gap of 5 years between the artist’s previous exhibition or participation and the applied-for exhibition slot.

The Open Call has ended. Next call for exhibitions is in Spring 2025 for exhibition times in Autumn 2026.

NOTE: Please carefully review the content of this page and the application instructions before submitting your application.

Photos of the spaces at Hippolyte: