On 6 November, the annual exhibition of the international PORTRAITS – Hellerau Photography Award 2026 will open at the Motorenhalle in Dresden. Under the theme ‘ESCAPISM’, photographic works from 13 countries have been selected by the international jury. On display are documentary and artistic works exploring themes of retreat, longing, imagination and the present. The opening at 7 pm will also feature the awards ceremony, including the presentation of the Residency Prize. We would be delighted to celebrate with you!

Finalists 2026
Patrick Lambertz (Switzerland) | Rachel Jump (USA) | Lindsay Morris (USA) | Maria Ugoljew (Germany) | Antine Karla Yzer (Germany) | Anastasia Sierra (USA) | Nicola Muirhead (Bermuda) | Tanya Traboulsi (Lebanon) | Mayya Kelova (Turkmenistan/France) | Luisa Dörr (Brazil) | Ci Demi (Turkey) | Vlada de Nooij (Netherlands) | Francisco Gonzalez Camacho (Spain/Finland) | Maya Meshel (Israel) | Mahsa Parvizi (Iran) | Alex Matraxia (United Kingdom) | Angelina Seibert (Germany/USA)

Worldviews and Visions
Our theme for 2026, ‘Escapism’, describes not only the act of escaping from unpleasant situations, but also the search for alternatives to the prevailing reality of everyday life. At its core, it is about images of in-between spaces: imagined worlds, new creations of the self, utopian sequences or unsettling reflections of reality. Such images reflect a fundamental tension of our times: the longing for alternative ways of life amidst growing social polarisation, ecological crises and complete media overwhelming demands. In your series, escapism can manifest itself in various ways: as a reconstructed fantasy world in which reality and fiction merge; as a playfully constructed parallel world that questions social norms, whether ironically or seriously; as a surreal space in which identity is transformed through masking, costume or narrative. Perhaps you are reflecting on how we might live, love and coexist if existing structures were to begin to crumble.

 In the context of our day-to-day political and social reality, escapism is an obvious theme. It is, after all, not merely an escape; rather, we are reflecting on poetic counter-models to our current reality. About economic pressure, about loneliness of all kinds, and the climate and democratic crises spanning continents. Escapist images may be read as utopian alternatives. How do we want to live? How do we want to work? How can we conceive of communities in ways other than through efficiency, competition and increased defence spending?

 This aspect of escapism harks back to the founding idea of the Hellerau Garden City. As Germany’s first garden city, Hellerau was founded in 1908/09 out of a desire to counter the confinement and harshness of urban industrialisation with new visions of a holistic way of life. At the beginning of the 20th century, the initiators drew on reformist, social-utopian concepts that sought to combine living, working, culture and nature. They responded to the constraints of the Wilhelmine Empire and the negative consequences of industrialisation with a self-assured vision of the future. Spacious green spaces were to be created in Hellerau, whilst light-filled architecture, communal spaces and cultural education were to form the heart of the whole project! This was therefore not a romantic retreat, but an avant-garde attempt to respond to the social crisis. The experimental settlement is regarded as part of the Lebensreform movement and was explicitly conceived as a progressive alternative to the social constraints of the time – both visually and programmatically.It is in this forward-thinking spirit that I also understand our annual theme, ‘Escapism’. The link between this theme and Hellerau lies not (only) in the motif of escape, but in the idea of creation. As a photographic theme, escapism involves the curious exploration of ‘what if?’ scenarios. For photographs dedicated to this annual theme, Hellerau can, as it were, serve as a mirror of content: a garden city designed over 100 years ago as a utopian response to its social challenges and now functioning as a space for reflection on your visual worlds.

Martin Morgenstern (DGPh)

Opening 6 November 2026, 7.00 pm

Exhibition dates 6.11–13 December 2026
Opening hours and further information see www.portraits-hellerau.com