RESTART2026

RESTART2026 is an international photography competition organized by the Lithuanian Photographers' Association in Vilnius. The brief is positioned around career stage rather than theme: aimed at photographers starting their careers or reconsidering their creative direction with new work.

Submissions are 10–20 photographs created after 2021, not previously fully exhibited or published. Selection structure: 10 finalists exhibit at Prospekto gallery in Vilnius; from these, three winners receive individual exhibitions at Vilnius Photography Gallery the following year with partial production support.

All finalists are featured in a printed catalogue, on photography.lt, and screened at NIDA Meeting — the Lithuanian photography symposium held in Nida each September.

The 2026 jury is Aurelija Maknyte (visual artist and educator), Arturas Valiauga (photographer, artist, and educator), Vilma Samulionytė (photographer, filmmaker, and curator), and Gytis Skudžinskas (artist, book artist, and curator).

Eligibility is open to emerging photographers 18+. Submission is through Picter. Fee is €15. The 2026 deadline was April 12; results announced July 29, 2026.