One Year Program 2026-2027: The Photographic Condition
A Practice & Theory-based Learning Program in Photography & Visual Language.
HEAD TUTORS
Alfredo Jaar
Deana Lawson
Walid Raad
ELECTIVE WORKSHOPS
TUTORS
Katy Hundertmark
Tommaso Parrillo (Witty Books)
Mark Power
Linn Phyllis Seeger
THEORETICAL STRAND
Eduardo Cadava
GUEST TUTORS
Ariella Azoulay
Jennifer Bajorek
Fazal Sheikh
MENTORING
Sylvia Sachini
CURATORIAL LECTURE
Manolis Moresopoulos
DURATION
Oct 2026 – Jun 2027
HYBRID
In-person (Athens) & Online
FOCUS
Artistic Practice
Development
Photo © Walid Raad
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The APhRC will curate a one year long program on The Photographic Condition, in which emerging and mid-career practitioners can learn and create in a collaborative setting.
The Program brings participants to Athens for three main workshops over the course of the year, complemented by two elective workshops, while also offering a series of online lectures accessible throughout the program. The lectures will be delivered by photographers and visual artists, historians and theorists of photography, and curators, and are meant to cover the entire range of photographic practice and discourse. In addition, each month participants will have one-on-one mentoring sessions.
INTEGRATING PRACTICE & THEORY
The APhRC is committed to bringing together practice and theory, in the conviction that photographic practice is enhanced when its practitioners gain a literacy in relation to the medium and its sister visual arts. Through a rich and distinctive curriculum and a deeply committed faculty and staff, the APhRC supports each participant’s personal and professional development throughout the year.
For full biographies of all 2026 workshop leaders, please visit our Workshop Tutors page.
IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS IN ATHENS
In Athens, participants will attend in-person workshops and enjoy full access to the Research Center’s library, darkroom, studio facilities, and study spaces. The program runs from October 2026 to June 2027, with the three main workshops led by Alfredo Jaar, Deana Lawson, and Walid Raad. Through presentations, discussions, group critiques, and individual feedback, each tutor will introduce participants to their own artistic methodologies while encouraging critical reflection on the conceptual, political, and material dimensions of photographic practice. Rather than focusing on technical instruction, the workshops emphasize research, experimentation, and the development of long-term artistic inquiry. Participants will be challenged to refine their conceptual frameworks, deepen their methods, and situate their work within broader artistic, social, and cultural discourses, while remaining grounded in their own distinct voice, context, and evolving practice.
ELECTIVE WORKSHOPS
In addition to the three main workshops, participants will complete two elective workshops. In March 2027, they will choose one of two artist-led workshops, taught by Mark Power or Linn Phyllis Seeger, each offering a distinct approach to artistic practice and image-making. In June 2027, participants will select one of two professional practice workshops: Katy Hundertmark will lead a workshop on curating, exploring exhibition-making, institutional frameworks, and the role of the curator, while Tommaso Parrillo from Witty Books will lead a workshop on photobook publishing, focusing on editorial processes, sequencing, and bringing publications into production.
THEORETICAL STRAND
Participants will also have access to a dedicated online theoretical strand, led by Eduardo Cadava. Drawing on his influential work in the fields of photography and the visual arts, Cadava’s seminars explore photography’s relationship to memory and history, positioning image-making as both a philosophical and political act. In the 2026-2027 iteration of this webinar, in addition to Cadava’s six sessions, there will be three guest lectures by Ariella Azoulay, Jennifer Bajorek and Fazal Sheikh. These sessions invite participants to engage with photography as a form of critical thinking, enabling them to ground their practice within broader theoretical and cultural frameworks. They aim to provide participants with an open and flexible lexicon with which to think about the practice of photography—about what it means to see and think photographically, about what it means to create and read a photograph, and about how to imagine photographic projects.
MENTORING
Alongside the theoretical sessions, the program includes dedicated classes on writing about one’s own practice—ranging from artist statements to reflective, research-informed texts—designed to support participants in articulating their work with clarity, depth, and critical precision across both creative and professional platforms.
Throughout the program, Sylvia Sachini will serve as the Program Advisor and Mentor, providing continuous guidance through monthly one-to-one mentoring sessions, group critiques, and project reviews. Participants will receive tailored feedback to support the development of their research and long-term practice, while benefiting from studio visits with artists and cultural practitioners. This sustained mentorship ensures a structured yet flexible framework for critical reflection, experimentation, and artistic growth.
The program will also include a lecture by Manolis Moresopoulos, Artistic Director and Curator of the Athens Photo Festival, on the role of institutions, festivals, and curatorial practice within the contemporary photographic landscape. Through case studies and discussion, participants will examine how exhibitions are developed, collaborations are formed, and public programs are shaped.
HYBRID LEARNING MODEL
Through this singular combination of in-person meetings, workshops with international and local tutors, online lectures, studio visits, experimental exercises, collaborative formats, group reviews, and continuous mentorship, participants will be supported in producing a substantial body of work, shaped through active dialogue, reflection, and rigorous experimentation. This hybrid model is designed to fit into the participants’ working lives, combining three in-person meeting weeks in Athens (October, March and June) with monthly remote sessions and lectures.
CRITICAL & COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY
The APhRC promotes photography as a research-based, socially aware, and politically conscious practice. It invites participants to challenge conventions, build new narratives, and situate their projects within a wider cultural discourse. The program fosters a critical community—local and international—built on exchange, curiosity, and care. It welcomes participants refining an ongoing project or starting something entirely new and provides an opportunity to connect with leading voices and practitioners in the fields and to further their practice in a supportive and nurturing context.
2026-2027 Program Timeline
Applications open: 3 July 2026
Early Bird deadline: 29 July 2026, 11:59 PM EEST
Final Application deadline: 25 August 2026, 11:59 pm EEST
Early Bird Acceptance Notifications: 10 August 2026
Early Bird Fee Due: 25 August 2026
Final Acceptance Notifications: 30 August 2026
First Installment Due: 10 September 2026
Second Installment Due: 10 October 2026
Contact us for installment schedule, structured according to individual needs.
I. OCTOBER 22-26, 2026
Workshop 1: Alfredo Jaar (lecture + 4 day workshop)
Lectures: Eduardo Cadava, Sylvia Sachini
II. MARCH 8-15, 2027
Workshop 2: Walid Raad (4 days)
Elective Workshop 1A: Mark Power (3 days)
Elective Workshop 1B: Linn Phyllis Seeger (3 days)
III. JUNE TBA, 2027
Workshop 3: Deana Lawson (4 days)
Elective Workshop 2C: Katy Hundertmark (3 days)
Elective Workshop 2D: Tommaso Parrillo (Witty Books) (3 days)
NOVEMBER 2026
18: Eduardo Cadava: Introduction: “Genealogies of Memory and Perception”
23-25: Sylvia Sachini: Reviews 1-1
DECEMBER 2026
9: Eduardo Cadava: Seminar on Frederick Douglass’s Lecture on Pictures and Nadar’s When I Was a Photographer (selections)
21-23: Sylvia Sachini: Reviews 1-1
JANUARY 2027
18-20: Sylvia Sachini: Reviews 1-1
28: Eduardo Cadava: Seminar on Siegfried Kracauer’s Photography
FEBRUARY 2027
18: Eduardo Cadava: Seminar on Jacques Derrida’s Athens, Still Remains
22-24: Sylvia Sachini: Reviews 1-1
APRIL 2027
15: Eduardo Cadava: Seminar on Roland Barthes’s Camera Lucida
19-21: Sylvia Sachini: Reviews 1-1
MAY 2027
11-13: Sylvia Sachini: Reviews 1-1
26: Eduardo Cadava: Seminar Seminar on Anne Carson’s Autobiography of Red
GUEST LECTURES
Dates TBA
Ariella Azoulay
Jennifer Bajorek
Fazal Sheikh
PROGRAM COSTS
The Full Program fee is €4,200 and includes participation in all 5 Athens-based workshops, the online theoretical strand, guest lectures, portfolio reviews, one-on-one mentoring, additional meetings with Athens-based artists and practitioners, and continuous guidance throughout the year. Participants also receive full access to the APhRC Library, darkroom, and study spaces for the duration of the program.
A limited number of Early Bird places are available exclusively for the Full Program at a reduced fee of €3,500 for applications submitted by 29 July 2026. Applicants not selected during the Early Bird round will automatically be considered in the regular admissions process.
Please note: Acceptance to the program is subject to evaluation and selection through the Open Call. Program fees do not include travel or accommodation expenses for the Athens-based sessions.
SCHOLARSHIPS & FELLOWSHIPS
APhRC offers two merit-based scholarships and fellowships for applicants from Greece, the Balkans, and the Middle East to help offset the costs of participating in the program. Scholarship recipients are selected from the Open Call applications based on the strength of their portfolio and application materials. Applicants wishing to be considered should indicate this in their application and include a brief statement outlining why they are applying for financial support. No separate scholarship application is required. Shortlisted scholarship applicants will be invited to a 20-minute online interview with the selection committee as part of the final evaluation process.
These awards are designed to recognize and support individuals who demonstrate outstanding talent, creativity, and commitment to the field of photography.
HOUSING & TRAVEL
Accommodation and travel are completely handled by the participant and are not included in the program’s fee structure. The staff of the APhRC are happy to assist in your search and has secured some low-cost housing options.
Application Information
- Portfolio
A portfolio of 20-25 images, maximum size 1920x1080p, 72dpi and a project description. Video works can be submitted with links.
If you intend to develop a new body of work you can submit images of a previous project AND include a short description of the new project, it doesn’t have to be final. - Statement of Purpose
A one-page Statement of Purpose up to 500 words in length describing your reasons for applying to the program, discussing the 2-3 most influential photographers on your work, how you approach and research a project, and the goals of your current work. - Resume or CV
A summary of formal education, professional experience, and other relevant activities.
Graduates of the One-Year Program receive a Certificate of Completion from the Athens Photo Research Center (APhRC). While non-credit bearing, the award reflects their participation in a rigorous program of workshops, lectures, and mentorship, and is recognized as a mark of artistic practice development in photography and contemporary visual culture.
We understand that plans may change, and we aim to be as flexible as possible while ensuring the smooth organization of the program. Please read the following cancellation terms carefully:
Full refund (except for a 10% of the costs for administrative fee) if cancellation is made by 15 September 2026.
50% refund if cancellation is made between 16 September 2026 and 10 October 2026.
No refund for cancellations made after 11 October 2026, or in case of no-show.
All cancellations must be submitted in writing via email to: contact@photoresearchcenter.org.
Full fees for early birds must be paid by 25 August 2025.
Full fees must be paid by 10 October 2026.
APhRC reserves the right to cancel workshops with less than 9 participants. Students will be given a full refund. In the event of cancellation, students will be given at least fifty days in advance notice. APhRC reserves the right to change or alter the program advertised.