PORTAL

Decagon Gallery is an online curatorial platform that runs themed photography exhibitions with published catalogs and social distribution. "PORTAL" is the gallery's open call for photography exploring tension at the edge of transition — images that hold a viewer at the moment a shift is imminent but not yet complete. Literal interpretations (doors, windows, thresholds) are accepted only when the photograph carries inherent tension; the brief favors work that embodies transition rather than describing it.

Cash awards total $1,000 across three placements: $500 first place plus a solo website exhibition, $300 second, $200 third. All selected photographers receive a permanent exhibition page on the Decagon site and inclusion in the published catalog. The 2026 exhibition runs June 20 through August 20.

The 2026 cycle is juried by Douglas Stockdale, founder of PhotoBook Journal and author of the Singular Images blog. His work is held in collections at Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma and the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale.

All photographic processes are welcome. Entry fee is $25 for up to 8 images. Eligibility is open to photographers worldwide aged 18 and over. Submissions are JPG at 2100 pixels on the long side, no watermarks or borders. The 2026 deadline is June 3 at 11:59 PM Eastern; results announced June 15.