Open call

The call for the 2026 exhibitions of the Contemporary Photography Centre has closed. All applicants will be notified by the end of June. Thank you for your applications!

Photographic Centre Nykyaika is located in the centre of Tampere. Nykyaika has two exhibition spaces: a street-level Gallery and a Studio downstairs. The Studio will be smaller in 2025 when the space under the stairs will be used for other purposes. The future change is shown in the floor plan. pohjapiirros_alakerta.

Open call for exhibitions is held once a year, when you can apply for the following year's exhibition dates. The call is open to all professional photographers and video artists. Applications from working groups are also welcome.

Application

Exhibition periods are applied with an electronic form https://nykyaika.gruppo.fi/online-applications/index.php/515567/lang-en and with an informal application that must include:

  • exhibition proposal 
  • Photo examples (approx. 10, videos with 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 also hope that the public will meet the artist in person, so we ask applicants to propose a public programme to accompany their exhibition. This could be a workshop, an artist's meeting, a work exhibition or a photographic tour. You can propose a programme that suits your own work and personality, whether it is aimed at a large audience or a small group. The organisation of an accompanying programme is optional. The gallery staff will help you to plan and organise the event if necessary.
 

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.
  • Alakerran Studio: Näyttelytilan pinta-ala on noin 28 m2. Alakertaan johtaa portaikko (ei hissiä). Tilassa ei ole ikkunoita. 

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 Tilat-sivulta.

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 about 4 weeks. The exhibition will be built on Thursday (and Friday if needed), the opening will take place on Friday evening and the exhibition will be dismantled at the end of the exhibition on Tuesday. The exact dates will be specified in the exhibition 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
  • Organising a side programme (optional)
  • Any deviations in presentation techniques (equipment rental) or exhibition structures, and the costs incurred, and the restoration of the premises. The walls of the gallery may not be painted.