Call for Entries – Handmade Books Exhibition

About We invite artists and publishers to submit artist books, zines, and experimental publications that celebrate materiality, craftsmanship, and the value of physical objects in today’s increasingly digital world. We are particularly interested in new works that explore contemporary themes and unconventional, anarchistic approaches to publishing. The Open Call prioritizes handmade small-edition books rather than unique one-of-a-kind pieces. The selected books will be exhibited at Helsinki’s Central Library Oodi during the Helsinki Analog Festival in April 2026, and will become part of a public artist book collection after the exhibition. Helsinki Analog Festival celebrates analog and handcrafted art, emphasizing materiality and embodied artistic practices, and encourages sustainable, experimental, and collaborative approaches. The 2026 theme of the festival, BODY, encourages reflection on the significance of physical existence and material interaction in the age of virtual experiences, while also supporting embodied activism. The program includes art and book exhibitions, analog film screenings, a symposium on artistic research, workshops, talks, and a photography competition for young people. Selected artists will receive - Inclusion in the exhibition at Helsinki Central Library Oodi (30 March – 26 April 2026) - Inclusion of their book in a public collection (Rikhardinkatu Library Artist’s Book Collection) - Reimbursement of the book price and shipping costs upon invoice About the organisers Helsinki Analog Festival is organized by the Finnish Darkroom Association, a non-profit founded in 2016 to preserve and promote analog photography in Finland. The association maintains Mörk, a professional black-and-white darkroom, and fosters skill-sharing, networking, and international collaboration. The book exhibition takes place at Helsinki Central Library Oodi, a vibrant public space and cultural hub at Kansalaistori square, opposite the Parliament Building. How to Enter - Read the Terms and Conditions of the Open Call. By submitting your work, you agree to abide by these Terms and Conditions. - Fill out the application form below, providing your personal details, a short biography, and information about your book, including the description, price (for reimbursement), and images. - The Open Call is free to enter. Special requirements - Proposed books should be primarily handmade or created using analog processes, although works partially produced with commercial printing methods may also be considered. - Submitted projects must have been created recently (from 2020 onward). - Artists/publishers are responsible for shipping or delivering their works to the Finnish Darkroom Association by 1 March 2026 if selected. Judging criteria We seek artist books that demonstrate strong engagement with analog and handmade practices in today’s digital age. Originality, experimentation, and a playful attitude are highly valued. While submissions should primarily use analog and handcrafted methods, the jury will focus mainly on artistic vision and ambition. Books can explore any theme and do not need to be related to photography or film. However, as the festival’s 2026 theme is BODY, works related to embodiment and the physical experience are particularly welcome. Jury Natalia Kopkina (b. 1984) is a photographic artist and publisher based in Helsinki. She collaborates with bookbinder Juha Markula, producing artists’ books and photography-related publications under her imprint I am not Publishing, founded in 2018. Kopkina is a co-founder of the Finnish Darkroom Association and the artistic director of the Helsinki Analog Festival. She holds an MA in Photography from Aalto University (2015). Hikari Nishida (b. 1997) is a French-Japanese visual artist based in Helsinki. She graduated from HEAR Academy of Fine Arts in Strasbourg, France in 2019. Nishida's artistic work focuses on collective projects, art publishing and installation art. In 2021, she founded The Temporary Bookshelf, an artist-driven platform for presenting and distributing publications as a form of visual art. Nishida is the co-founder of Under the Leaf art book fair and runs ttbbooks press. Timeline Open Call Launch: 10 November 2025 Submission Deadline: 14 December 2025, 23:59 (GMT+2) Selected Artists Contacted: January 2026 Selected Works Delivered to the Finnish Darkroom Association by: 1 March 2026 Exhibition at Helsinki Central Library Oodi: 30 March – 26 April 2026 Contact All correspondence and questions concerning the Open Call should be sent via email to [email protected]