In September 2026, Swissnex will inaugurate its new location on Avenida Paulista with the São Paulo edition of Planetary Embassy, a global event series exploring new forms of planetary diplomacy.
At the heart of the program is Planetary Embassy on Avenida Paulista, an outdoor photography exhibition presented under the patronage of renowned Swiss-Brazilian photographer Claudia Andujar. Eight large-scale works by emerging artists from Switzerland and Brazil will be displayed along one of São Paulo’s most iconic and widely visited avenues.
Featuring Claudia Andujar
One of the works presented in Planetary Embassy on Avenida Paulista will be by Claudia Andujar, the renowned Swiss-Brazilian photographer and the exhibition’s patron. For decades, Andujar has dedicated her practice to the Yanomami people and their relationship with the forest. Her series Sonhos Yanomami explores shamanic visions and the connections between humans, spirits, and nature, dissolving the boundaries between them through photography. Her work offers a powerful example of how photography can open new ways of seeing and relating to the more-than-human world, a central question at the heart of this open call.
Open Call on Planetary Diplomacy
Planetary diplomacy begins with a simple question: if keeping Earth habitable is the defining challenge of our time, how can diplomacy evolve to engage with the many forces actively shaping our planet? Swissnex’s concept proposes moving beyond human-centered frameworks by recognizing the agency and interests of other living, non-living, and technological actors in planetary life. What new forms of representation, dialogue, and negotiation might emerge from such a paradigm shift?
Against this backdrop, we invite photographers from Switzerland and Brazil to submit works that evoke alternative ways of being in relation with the more-than-human world. Each selected photograph will be accompanied by a short text written by the artist for display at the street level. The works should function as visual “what ifs,” inviting viewers to imagine how humans might relate to other forms of Earth-shaping agency, from fungi, rivers, and forests to ocean currents, weather patterns, and planetary computation.
Rather than offering definitive answers, the selected works should open new imaginaries for coexistence, asking how diplomacy could evolve once humans are recognized as one among many constituents determining the future of our planetary condition.
Who can apply?
Applicants must:
• Be photographers/artists based in Switzerland or Brazil.
• All submitted works must be original, and applicants must hold all necessary rights and permissions for their use and exhibition.
If based in Switzerland:
• Be currently undertaking graduate studies at a Swiss higher education institution (last year of bachelor’s, master’s level, or above); or
• Be an alumnus/alumna of a Swiss higher education institution who graduated no more than 10 years before the application deadline.
If based in Brazil:
• Applicants must have no more than 10 years of professional experience in artistic photography, including:
º Visual artists working with photography.
º Photographers producing artistic or conceptual bodies of work.
What to submit?
1 PDF with max 10 MB with the following:
º A CV or professional biography (max. 500 words; maximum one A4 page), highlighting relevant exhibitions, publications, grants, and artistic practice.
º A portfolio with representative images from recent work.
• Up to three photographs (only one is mandatory)
º All photographs must be in portrait/vertical orientation and submitted in high resolution, suitable for reproduction at a final print size of 2.5 x 3.75 m. Images that do not match this aspect ratio may not be considered, as submissions will not be cropped for printing.
For each photograph, provide:
• Title
• Year
• Technical details (if relevant)
• Caption contextualizing the image in relation to the Planetary Embassy concept. Max. 150 words for each photograph.
• Applicants must disclose any use of AI tools during the creation or post-production of the submitted work.
Image specifications:
• Digital preview | JPEG, RGB (sRGB), up to 5 MB, minimum 3,500 px on the longest side. (To be uploaded in the application form).
• High-resolution print version | Submitted images must be high-resolution files in JPEG, TIFF or PDF format, with a composition suitable for printing at 2.5 m x 3.75 m. This version will be via a downloadable link (e.g., WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar)
What selected artists receive
Selected works will be exhibited along Avenida Paulista from 14 September to 1 October 2026.
Selected artists will also be invited to participate in the Confluence Dialogues (28–30 September) and benefit from visibility through Swissnex’s global network.
Swissnex will cover production and installation costs.
Meet the Jury
Gabriela Devaud Arts & Creative Industries Lead (Swissnex in Brazil)
Sabrina Fontenelle Curator (Instituto Tomie Ohtake)
Apply
Please check the full guidelines and application form before submitting your work.
For general inquiries about the open call, please contact: [email protected]