Each autumn, now for the third consecutive year, the IPMA (International Photography and Media Art) Festival invites artists and audiences to explore art that resonates with the pulse of the contemporary world. The theme for the 2025 festival – “Ideas. Creative and Destructive” – invites us not only to witness outstanding projects in photography and media arts but also to reconsider the very essence of creativity, turning our attention back to the starting point of every action and every glance: the idea itself.

Why this theme?

Ideas shape the world – and not just the world, but ourselves too. Every morning, we wake up carrying our thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes. Some ideas nurture us; others hold us back. Some inspire us to change the world; others instill fear of it. An idea can be a key to freedom, or it can become a cage whose walls we no longer notice.

This theme concerns all of us. It is about our beliefs, our creations, and what we carry forward – consciously or not. It invites artists to view their own work as a mirror, questioning: What does your art say? What does it deconstruct? What does it propose instead of what it destroys?

The IPMA festival invites submissions from artists working with photography, video art, sound, installations, and interdisciplinary projects that reflect on the theme “Ideas. Creative and Destructive”. We seek works that illustrate the power, duality, transformation, and influence of ideas on individuals and society.

Specifically, we are looking for projects addressing:
• The origin and transformation of ideas;
• Ideas that inspire action;
• Ideas that suppress, oppress, or manipulate;
• Ideas that persist through generations;
• Ideas born from resistance or dreams;
• Technological, political, religious, and social structures of ideas;
• Art as the deconstruction of ideas.

The IPMA festival will take place in October 2025 in Kaunas and Vilnius. Exhibitions will be held in various spaces across the cities – from museums to unexpected public places, integrating art into daily life encounters.

Selected artists will have their artwork transportation (or printing in Lithuania) costs covered.

Who is this theme for?

This theme is intended for artists for whom creativity is not only a means of seeing the world but also reflecting upon it. It calls for deeper exploration into the nature of ideas and their impact on individuals and society. It is designed for those who seek meaning through art, engage in dialogue with the present, and bravely approach complex issues. It is an invitation to create from a place of questioning, doubt, and openness – where the idea becomes a bridge between the inner world and shared experience.

Application submission deadline – July 1, 2025