Open call

The open call for Photographic Centre Nykyaika's 2024 exhibitions was closed on April 30th. We will announce the opening of our open call for 2025 here and on our social media profiles. Thank you to all who applied!

Nykyaika has two exhibition spaces: the gallery space at street level and a studio space downstairs. Open call is held once a year to decide the exhibition programme for the following year. The purpose of the Photographic Centre is to make photography known as an art form and to increase interaction between audiances and artists. All professional artists using photography or video art as their medium are welcome to submit their application during open call. We also accept applications from artist groups.

Application

Exhibition periods are applied with an electronic form at https://nykyaika.gruppo.fi/online-applications/index.php/664139 and with an informal application that must include:

  • exhibition proposal 
  • 5-10 examples of pictures and/or videos (in case of videos, send a link to e.g. Vimeo)
  • resume 

Save the informal application as a PDF file in the format LastName_FirstName_NameOfExhibition, using your information, and attach it to the electronic from. Maximum size of the PDF file is 4MB.

Applications that arrive past the due date are not taken into account.

We wish that each applicant suggests some additional programme related to their exhibition. Through this we hope to bring audiences and artists closer together. The programme can be e.g. a workshop, artist meeting, demonstration of the artist’s working methods or an excursion to take photographs. Applicants can make programme suggestions based on what best suits their style of working and personality. The event held can be targeted for large audiences or for a small group. Gallery staff can help with the planning and implementation of the programme if needed.

Exhibitions are chosen by the board of Nykyaika.

Premises

Photographic Centre Nykyaika is located at Kauppakatu 14 in the city centre of Tampere. The real estate where the gallery is situated is over a hundred years old.

The spaces for holding exhibitions are on two floors. You can apply for one or both.

  • Gallery at street level: Right at the main entrance. Space has large windows, through which you can see the high exhibition space from the street. The floor of the space is about 48 m2 and the walls are about 90 m2 with 19 linear meters. The space can not be blacked out.
  • Downstairs Studio space: The floor of the Studio is about 36 m2 and walls 57 m2 with 25 linear meters. The downstairs space is accessible only via a staircase (no elevator). The space has no windows. Wire ropes are available for hanging up the art works if needed.

The floor plan, pictures of the exhibition spaces and a 360 degree virtual tour of the gallery, as well as additional information about the techinical equipment can be found on this page.

Exhibitions at Nykyaika are free of charge for visitors. In addition to gallery activity, Nykyaika also hosts a reference library for the public and has an office, storage and social space for the association. The estate was built in 1926 and it is not completely accessible for people using a walker or a wheelchair. There are two steps to climb from street level to the main door and the downstairs space is only accessible via a staircase.

Exhibition period

The exhibition period is over three weeks. Setting up the exhibition takes place from Thursday to Friday and the vernissage is on Friday evening. The exhibition is taken down on Tuesday after the exhibition period ends. The exact dates are defined in the contract.

Services

Having an exhibition at Nykyaika is free of charge for the artist.

The services provided by the gallery:

  • Renting and supervising the gallery space
  • Designing and printing the exhibition poster as well as distributing it to nearby areas
  • Sending a press release and an electronic invitation about the vernissage via Nykyaika’s mailing lists
  • Composing a statement about the exhibition and a catalogue of the art works together with the artist
  • Informing public about the exhibition through gallery’s web page, social media and local event calenders
  • Designing, printing and posting a seasonal exhibition leaflet
  • Assisting the artist when setting up and taking down the exhibition if needed
  • Providing commonly used equipment for setting up exhibition
  • Selling art works and other material related to the exhibition (25% comission fee)

Responsibilities of the artist:

  • Providing the gallery with press material
  • Transportation of the art works and covering the insurance for them during the exhibition
  • Setting up and taking down the exhibition and leaving the space clean afterwards
  • Covering the cost of travel and accomodation for oneself and possible assistants
  • Providing snacks and drinks at the vernissage
  • Providing programme related to the exhibition
  • Covering the cost of rented equipment. If the space is altered when setting up the exhibition e.g. painted, the artist is responsible for restoring the space as it was and covering the cost of doing so