musée du quai branly jacques chirac – photography award 2026

Since its launch in 2008, the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Photography Award has provided support for contemporary photographic creation. Each year, the museum funds the works of two laureates, selected on the basis of an original project, in coherence with their personal aesthetic path. It also supports the final production of a selection of these works towards their entry into the museum's collection. The award is open to non-European photographers or artists using photography, with no age limit. It aims to promote the diversity of photographic practices and forms in international contemporary creation. Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate an original artistic approach and are not limited to traditional forms of documentary or reportage. The prize has no theme. Although this call for entries does not require a recommendation, it is not aimed at novice photographers. Particular attention will be paid to the quality of references and experience.

Simultaneously a museum, a cultural center, and a place for research and teaching, the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac was born from the political desire to highlight non-European cultures, in the heart of Paris. The museum gathers a collection of 370 000 objects, a considerable collection of graphic art and a collection composed of more than 710 000 ancient and contemporary photographic pieces. The photography collection covers the whole geographic area represented by the museum, as well as the entire historical field of the medium, from 1842 to today.