Portal: At the Edge of Becoming

Decagon Gallery is an online curatorial platform that runs themed photography exhibitions with published catalogs and social distribution. "Portal: At the Edge of Becoming" is the gallery's call for photographs that hold a viewer at the edge of something — where a shift is imminent but not yet complete. The brief asks for work that embodies tension and resists easy resolution, functioning as a threshold rather than a literal representation.

The selection structure is online-first. Selected photographers are featured in a curated online exhibition with a published catalog distributed through Decagon's mailing list and social channels. All accepted artists receive an exhibition page, an Instagram feature, and catalog inclusion. The first-place winner additionally receives a solo webpage exhibition on the gallery site.

Cash awards: $500 first place, $300 second, $200 third. The 2026 cycle is juried by Douglas Stockdale — visual artist, editor, photobook publisher, and founder of PhotoBook Journal. Eligibility is open worldwide; all photographic styles and processes are welcome.

Entry fee is $25 per submission of up to 8 images (JPG, 2100 pixels on long side, no watermarks or borders). The 2026 deadline is June 3, with the exhibition running June 20 through August 20, 2026.