Submit by 31 August 2026
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Enter and win prizes
On World Photography Day (August 19), we celebrate the power of photography to bring stories to light. This year, both World Photography Day and the annual Wereldmuseum photo contest are centered around the theme Home.
Entry period: August 1 through August 31, 2026
Announcement of selection: September 16, 2026
Photo contest 2026: The selection
Photo contest 2026: The selection
What makes you feel at home?
With this photo contest, we invite you to capture your personal interpretation of “Home” in a photograph. Perhaps home is a place, a person, a memory, or a feeling. Share your photo and the story behind it for a chance to be featured in our digital publication, gain exposure through the Wereldmuseum’s online channels, and have an exclusive conversation with the photography curator.
1965, Mali. © Malick Sidibé, courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE
How do you participate?
Anyone is welcome to participate! Be sure to review the terms and conditions here. By participating, you agree to these terms.
- Share your interpretation of the theme “Home.”
- Submit one photo or a series of up to three photos in .jpg or .png format.
- Include a title and a description (max. 300 words).
- Include your name and, if applicable, your social media handles.
- Email your entry no later than August 31, 2026, to fotowedstrijd@wereldmuseum.nl with the subject line: “Photo Contest Entry 2026”.
The ten winners will be announced on September 16, 2026. They will be notified personally via email and on the Wereldmuseum’s online channels.
About the theme 'Home'
About the theme 'Home'
What Makes a Place a Home?
At Wereldmuseum, people and their stories are at the heart of everything we do. Stories about heritage and identity, about journeys and arrivals, about memories that shape us and connections that give us a sense of belonging. They show that “home” can mean something different to everyone, but that the feeling of home connects us all.
For this photo contest, we invite you to tell your story. Capture what “home” means to you. It could be a person, a community, a ritual, a landscape, an object, or a moment—big or small, near or far.
Show us through your lens where you feel at home, and share the story behind your photo.
What are the prizes?
What are the prizes?
Selection
The jury will select ten photos from all entries. From this shortlist, the jury will then choose one grand prize winner and two jury favorites. In addition, the public will have the opportunity to vote for a people’s choice winner via Wereldmuseum’s social media channels.
All selected participants will receive the selection prize. The grand prize winner and jury favorites will also receive the additional prizes listed below.
Prizes
The selection
This prize consists of:
- A feature in a digital publication on the website of Wereldmuseum
- Exposure through our newsletter and social media channels
- Two (2) Wereldmuseum admission tickets
Grand Prize Winner
Receives the selection prize plus:
- An exclusive one-on-one conversation with the Wereldmuseum’s photography curator. Share your portfolio, discuss your photographic ambitions, ask questions about your work, and gain a unique insight into how a museum views photography.
- A Wereldmuseum gift card worth €100
Jury Favorite: Story
Receives the selection prize plus:
- A Wereldmuseum gift card worth €100
Jury Favorite: Perspective
Receives the selection prize plus:
- A Wereldmuseum gift card worth €100
The jury
The jury
The photos will be judged by, among others:
- Valeria Posada Villada
Valeria works at the Wereldmuseum as Curator of Photography. She combines academic insights with artistic and cultural initiatives that inspire, inform, and encourage the public to reflect.
- Marieke Meijer
Marieke is an exhibition curator and program developer at Wereldlab. She has a broad perspective on art and culture. Because she is a creator herself, she is skilled at bringing the artists’ messages to the forefront in her exhibitions.
Entry period
Entry period
The photo contest runs from August 1 through August 31, 2026. Please email your entry no later than August 31, 2026, to fotowedstrijd@wereldmuseum.nl with the subject line: “Photo Contest Entry 2026.”
Photo Contest 2025: the selection
Photo Contest 2025: the selection
Congratulations Albert Stevanus, Boudie Rijkschroeff, Chris den Engelsman, Khalid Abdou, Monsieur Lafayette, Rosa van der Linden, Ruby Joemai, Sethi Djegane Gueye, Sing Dekker and Xaveer May!
Thank you for sharing your perspective on global citizenship with us. We were moved by the stories behind the lens. View their images and stories here.
In conversation with Wereldmuseum Curator of Photography
Valeria Posada Villada: "The Wereldmuseum manages an impressive photo collection of around 700,000 works, dating from 1850 to the present day – from glass negatives and slides to albums, models, and textile objects. As a curator, I immerse myself in this collection and make connections with current themes such as memory, migration, history, and resistance. I do this through exhibitions, publications, and close collaborations with communities and researchers.
The photos from our collection – and those in this article – offer an open view of the world, seen through the eyes of diverse creators and stories. They show photography as a medium that is in constant dialogue with artistic traditions and historical moments that have shaped our present.
Valeria Posada Villada
Inspire and be inspired: Photography in our collection
Each photo tells its own story of global citizenship—about solidarity, struggle, freedom, or (in)justice. Through which lens do you see the world?