The Exhibition

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A portal is not simply an opening. It is a condition — a space where something begins to shift, dissolve, emerge, or remain unresolved. Decagon Gallery invites photographers worldwide to submit work for Portal, an exhibition focused on images that exist at the edge of transformation.

We are interested in photographs that hold tension rather than explain it. The strongest works will not describe transition literally; they will embody it through atmosphere, structure, presence, absence, or psychological instability within the frame. A portal may appear as a physical passage, but it does not have to. What matters is the feeling that something is at stake.

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We are drawn to photographs suspended between states: visibility and disappearance, movement and stillness, intimacy and distance, entry and refusal. We welcome images that feel unresolved, uncertain, emotionally charged, or quietly disorienting.

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Literal interpretations such as doors, windows, tunnels, or corridors are welcome only when the image itself carries genuine tension. A doorway alone is not enough. We are not searching for symbols or visual clichés. We are searching for photographs that operate as thresholds.​​​

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Juror​: Douglas Stockdale 

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Douglas Stockdale is a visual artist, editor, and educator whose work centers on the photobook as a significant form of contemporary photographic practice. He is the founder and publisher of PhotoBook Journal and author of the long-running blog Singular Images. His work is held in the collections of Museo d’Art Contemporanea di Roma, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, and Reminders Photography Stronghold.
website

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Awards

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$1,000 Total Cash Awards

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First Place: $500 + Solo Exhibition on the Decagon Gallery website
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150

Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each

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Human Presence Nomination: Free of charge entry to one future Decagon Gallery Open Call of the photographer’s choice

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All selected photographers receive:
– Inclusion in the curated exhibition
– Dedicated exhibition page on Decagon Gallery
– Feature on Decagon’s Instagram
– Inclusion in the exhibition catalog

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Submission Details

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Entry Fee: $25 for up to 8 photographs.

Open to photographers worldwide. All photographic styles and processes are welcome. Each submission may include up to 8 images.

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Please submit JPG files sized to 2100 pixels on the long side. Images should not contain text, watermarks, borders, frames, or additional graphic elements. We want the work to be experienced as directly and clearly as possible.

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Please name your files "First Name-Last Name_title.jpg'"