Near. Prize 2026

Near. is a Swiss association for contemporary photography founded in Lausanne in 2009, with a remit to disseminate work, foster critical discourse, and connect Swiss-based photographers with national and international photography professionals. The Near. Prize is the association's annual award, run in partnership with Galerie & Edition Stephan Witschi in Zürich.

The 2026 cycle is built around an exhibition at the gallery and a presentation in the 2026 edition of Fotofestival Lenzburg, whose theme is 'Forever Happy' — a reading of happiness that means everything and nothing in the present moment. The winner receives a CHF 1,000 grant to support exhibition production or future work, a solo exhibition at Galerie & Edition Stephan Witschi, and a one-year free Near. membership.

The 2026 jury combines gallery, institutional, and association voices: gallerists Stephan Witschi and Barbara Liebster from Galerie & Edition Stephan Witschi; Georgina Casparis, Head and Curator of Art Vontobel; and the Near. committee, which counts as one collective vote.

Participation is reserved for Near. members — in practice, Swiss or Swiss-based photographers of any age. Submission is a PDF containing a series of 7 to 15 images produced since 2023, a project description of approximately 300 words, and the completed application form downloaded from the Near. website. Applications are sent to info@near.li. The call opened April 27, 2026; the deadline is June 7, 2026, with the winner announced in July 2026.