Panel discusssion between photographers, designers and publishers who make photobooks.

Do Photobooks still sell? Why do we need a publisher? How can we find money? Why do we need a designer who understands photography and not just design? What is a Dummy for? Why is it a collaborative process? Why does it take so long to make a book? Why do Photographers need a photobook today?
The future of Photobooks?

Invited speakers:
Brian Paul Lamotte (book designer) Milano
Nicolas Polli (designer, publisher, photographer) Bienne
Giulia Brivio Artphilein (publisher) Lugano
Benoit Chattaway (near member, photographer) Lugano
Nathalie Bissig (near member, photographer) Zurich / Uri

Moderation: Ann Griffin (book designer, near. committee member), Zurich
The Panel and Q+Awill be held in English

www.verzascafoto

Dates: Saturday September 6th — 11:30-13h

New opportunity for near. members! 🚀

We’re teaming up with @dergreifstudio – a new venture from the internationallynrenowned @dergreif – curating emerging photography & video art for hotels, workspaces and beyond.

About Der Greif Studio
Building on Der Greif’s global artist community, Der Greif Studio curates bespoke selections of artworks for clients in hospitality – including hotels, restaurants, co-working, and commercial real estate spaces. Their aim is to create meaningful connections between emerging artists and these environments, offering early-career artists both visibility and fair financial remuneration through artwork sales.

Who they work with
Der Greif Studio works exclusively with artists who do not have gallery representation.They have reached out to near. as they value the quality of our members, and invite any eligible members to submit their work for consideration.

How it works
–Submission is free – follow the instructions on the submission page via this link.
-If a project matches your work, DGS curators will include it in the proposal. If selected, they’ll contact you directly.
-They work on a collaboration model, not representation – meaning they bring your work into large-scale, often multi-artist projects within a set client/project budget.
-DGS takes care of all production, framing and logistics, handled at their cost
-DGS commissions may also include artist-led activations (talks, workshops, screenings) for additional engagement and exposure.

Current focus
They are currently working on several proposals in Switzerland and Germany, with additional leads in other parts of Europe and Asia.

Deadline
To be considered for these upcoming projects, please submit your work by September 30, 2025 – the sooner, the better.

Learn more
Read the FAQ to understand the process in detail.
Visit their website to see their first projects.
Follow on Instagram and LinkedIn for updates.

Questions?
Once you’ve read the FAQ (the majority of questions are answered there), if you still have questions before/while submitting, you can email Diana Poole at diana@dergreif.studio.

Panel Discussion
6 May, 18:30
Location: Lullin + Ferrari Gallery, Limmatstrasse 214, Zurich
Open to near. members

Over the past years, many of the members have expressed interest in learning more about marketing your work, collaborating with galleries, and navigating the market. That’s why we’re hosting an informal evening dedicated to open conversation and practical insights. We’ll cover topics like editions, pricing, packaging, framing, insurance—and anything else that comes up.

Participants:
Anna Konstantinova – near. committee & gallerist at Lullin + Ferrari, moderating the discussion
Dominique Teufen – artist & near. member
Diego Brambilla – artist & near. member
Brigitte Lustenberger – artist & near. member
…and more to be confirmed!

Join us for an evening of sharing experiences and tips—followed by an apéro to continue the conversation!

We appreciate if you RSVP at info@near.li or in our direct messages on instagram so that we can plan the drinks!
The event will be held in English (but probably with a mix of French, German and everything in between)!

We’re excited to announce the launch of our next Postcard Edition, produced in collaboration with Mucho Love Editions.

This special set will feature 20 images — each selected from a different near. member. There’s no fixed theme, so feel free to submit up to 3 of your most eye-catching single images, and one of them could be featured in the postcard set!

This is the first in what we plan as a continuing series of postcard editions, each featuring a new collaboration.

All entries will be shown in a continuous loop* during our Apéro at the Rencontres in Arles on July 10. Final event details will follow soon.

The postcards will be printed and distributed free of charge to promote near. and its members.

**Submission Guidelines:**

– Submit only via the form that you received in the near. member mail

– Open to near. members exclusively

– Maximum 3 images per member

– Double-check all details (name, title, etc.) — we won’t be able to make corrections later

– Deadline: May 15, 2025

We’re looking forward to your submissions!

*Note: Depending on the venue’s electricity setup, the screening format may be adapted.

We are thrilled to announce the opening of the call for entries for the near. prize 2025!

The winner of the near. prize 2025 will have the opportunity to showcase their work at Fotofestival Lenzburg 2026, as well as being awarded 1000 CHF and a free one-year near. membership.

This year’s jury panel comprises the following photography experts:

Margherita Guerra, Director and Founder of the Fotofestival Lenzburg,

Manuel Sigrist, Head of Exhibitions, Programmes and Library, Photo Elysee;

the committee of near. counting as one vote.

The call for entries is open from April 20 to June 10, 2025. The winner will be revealed this June, with their exhibition featured in the 2026 edition of Fotofestival Lenzburg.

The theme of the upcoming edition of Fotofestival Lenzburg is Forever Happy: happiness that means everything and nothing nowadays. Please refer to the application form guidelines for comprehensive details.

We eagerly await the submission of your application!

→ Apply now (deadline: Wednesday June 10, 2025)

Download the application form: near-prize_rules_and_application-form – 2025

(*Please note that the near. prize is exclusively reserved for members of the association.)

Images Vevey and Photo Elysée organize Booklette, a photobook fair bringing together Swiss and international publishers. The equation is simple and convivial: Books + Raclette = Booklette.

near. is taking part by offering members a guided tour of Biennale Images Vevey and the presentation of their publications at a table among the publishers.

Register to take part to the photobook fair and/or follow a guided tour of the biennial exhibitions on Saturday 14 at 11am: info@near.li

The jury of this year’s near. prize is happy to announce the winner of the edition – Tiziana Amico! Her work will be exhibited at the Verzasca Foto Festival 2024. Come and join us in beautiful Ticino for the opening days August 30 – 31.

Jury statement:
In the project “Nunca Fui Adolescente” (’I Never Was A Teenager’), Amico explores the personal stories of Argentine women who became mothers before adulthood, challenging stigmatized representations of adolescent motherhood, highlighting their resilience and individuality through intimate portrayals created in a collaboration with these young women.

The jury was convinced both by the choice of the author’s subject and the visual decisions taken in the project. The strong visual storytelling is combined with a very personal, almost gentle, approach of Amico to the experiences of these women and the desire to give them a voice and understand their perspective. Through a conscious use of portraiture mixed with images of private writings and symbolic objects, Tiziana Amico manages to create a memorable and powerful, yet very tender visual narrative.

Images credits:
From “Nunca Fui Adolescente” (’I Never Was A Teenager’) by Tiziana Amico

We are very excited to inform you that the dates and location for our event during the opening week of the Rencontres d’Arles have been confirmed. We are collaborating with Pool collective to host an apéro and present our associations at the Librairie du Palais. Alongside this evening we are organising a DIY poster campaign throughout the city of Arles.

near. photographers will be bringing their beamers and are presenting an abundance of images on the Plateforme 10 esplanade.

Mainly concerned with the themes of nature, artifacts and identity, discover the work of Tiziana Amico, Graziella Antonini, Yann Amstutz, Thomas Annaheim Lambert, Zoé Aubry, Rebecca Bowring, Aline Bovard Rudaz, Delphine Burtin, Margaux Corda, Marie-Pierre Cravedi, Matthieu Croizier, Ankita Das, Tomasz Fall, Matthias Forster, Anne Gabriel-Jürgens, Yann Haeberlin, Fabian Hugo, Emilien Itim, Khashayar Javanmardi, Stephen Kelly, Yann Laubscher, Arthur Lehmann, Samuel Matzig, Cécile Monnier Laurence Rasti, Nora Rupp, Roxana Savin and Mihai Sovaiala.

We are thrilled to announce the opening of the call for entries for the near. prize 2024!
The winner of the near. prize 2024 will have the opportunity to showcase their work at Verzasca Foto Festival 2024, as well as being awarded 1000 CHF and a free one-year near. membership.

This year’s jury panel comprises of the following fotography experts: Alfio Tommasini, Director and Curator of the Verzasca Foto Festival; Annette Amberg, Director of Coalmine – Raum für Fotografie (Winterthur); and the committee of near. counting as one vote.

The call for entries is open from April 22 to May 29, 2024. The winner will be revealed this June, with their exhibition featured in the 2024 edition of Verzasca Foto Festival.
There is no specific theme for this year’s prize, so please refer to the application form guidelines for comprehensive details.

We eagerly await the submission of your application!

→ Apply now (deadline: Wednesday, May 29, 2024)

(*Please note that the near. prize is exclusively reserved for members of the association.)

Special guided tour of the Bieler Fototag/ Journées photographiques de Bienne with Pedro Rodrigues, Rebecca Bowring, Julien Heimann and Sarah Girard
near. is pleased to invite you and your near friend and family to join us for a guided tour of the shows in Bienne / Biel in the very special company of the photographers Pedro Rodrigues, winner of the near Prize 2023, Rebecca Bowring, winner of the near prize 2021, Julien Heimann photographer member of near and Sarah Girard, director of the festival.
The entrance is being taken care by us!
Saturday 18th of May, 2.15pm, meeting point 10 Juraplatz Biel / Bienne