© Erik Bulckens
Honorable Mention · Open Call 2024
Erik Bulckens
The photographer’s grandfather, Marcel De Baer, was a forensic expert specializing in road accidents in the 1960s and 1970s. In this role, he documented about 4,000 accidents, creating elaborate files for the jurisdiction. In these files, he included photos as proof/evidence.
Although the photos were taken for a purely utilitarian purpose, the photographer finds them very artistic. Taken out of context, they become something more than mere documentation of an accident.
The photos also raise questions about art photography itself. When does something become art? Is it because of the intent of the creator (which is clearly absent here)? Is it because a curator sees the artistic value (in this case, that would be the photographer), or is it the larger public that decides (such as a physical gallery placing its trust in the project)? At the same time, this archival series (which is ongoing) confronts viewers with themes of death and loss, topics often avoided in Western culture. Although no victims are shown, there is a sense of dramatic narrative; however, it lacks voyeuristic or sensational aspects, as these images were shot purely from a professional perspective with no intent to shock, merely presenting the facts.
The Eyeshot Open Call 2024 Issue #16 is a limited-edition magazine and photographic collection, showcasing the best in street and documentary photography. Featuring winners, finalists, and honorable mentions from over 15,000 global submissions, this exclusive edition celebrates exceptional storytelling.
Eyeshot Magazine #16
The third Eyeshot Open Call, a reading of contemporary street and documentary photography across continents and approaches. Issue #16 collects six awarded works, single images and series, selected by a jury of seven photographers, editors, and curators. The works move between street observation, documentary practice, intimate portraiture, and political witness, presented as an annual reading of what photography is doing now.
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Open Call 2026
The next edition of the Eyeshot Open Call. Submissions open annually. Single images and series are welcome from photographers working in street and documentary photography.
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Each edition is read by a different international jury of photographers, editors, and curators. The full list of jurors who have read for Eyeshot is on the past jurors page.
OPEN CALL 2024
