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“HOW / TO GATHER—Queer Communities in Photography” — as part of our annual theme, we’ve invited queer photographers to share their perspectives on queer communities. Their photographs tell stories of queer spaces, forms of community, care, and chosen families. The Audience Award is an expression of precisely this sense of connection. As queers, allies, and friends, you’ll be part of the jury. Your vote shows that these images are not only seen, but also valued and supported.
The shortlist of 10 submissions was selected by an expert jury. The photographer with the most votes will receive a €500 voucher from MPB. Nominate your favorite photo or series!
Shortlist Audience Award 2026
Things to Long forEnes Alba2026, Berlin, Deutschland
...
Two DollsHamamTusidi and a FanDebonair and InsekuerLama in Berlin
Entre nós, o sagrado permanece…Moulaye Diarra2026, Salvador de Bahia, BrazilShangôJoséMarjorieSuelenEmily
my loved ones here and thereInmensidades2026, Germany, Argentina, BrazilAche und MarlaAurora und KlaraMaria ProfaniaLa ConoSharon with Roses
TRARoman Manfredi2025, Neapel, Italien
TRA is an ongoing narrative photography project exploring gender-variant lives in Naples, weaving environmental portraits, postcard-like snapshots, archival photographs, personal objects and Super-8 film to explore liminal spaces between landscape, tradition and contemporary identities. The project explores gender variance, cultural memory and belonging through a personal, historically grounded lens. It began with a photograph discovered whilst visiting family in Italy—of my nonna (grandmother) and her friends. In it, one woman wears male attire, holding hands with another carrying flowers, as if in a wedding portrait. As a gender non-conforming person raised between urban British life and rural Italian heritage, the image offered belonging. Though the true story remains unknown, its emotional and symbolic resonance became the seed from which this project grew. The word "tra" is Italian, meaning between/among/within—guiding the work's philosophy, naming a space where binaries dissolve and identities remain in flux. Inspired by the Neapolitan queer figure of the 'femminiello', long regarded as auspicious and spiritually significant, the project honours lives beyond gender norms. While gender-variant identities have often been acknowledged in male-assigned bodies, female-born expressions were historically dismissed; this work includes 'masculille' to reclaim that space with dignity. Here, belonging is geographic, ancestral and embodied. TRA inhabits thresholds: between genders, past and present, architecture and memory, Catholic traditions and pagan rituals. By weaving historical references with contemporary encounters, the work proposes a narrative where marginalised lives form part of their surroundings—Naples. It frames belonging as something rediscovered and inherited, emerging through relational presence. Ultimately, TRA is reclamation and offering: exploring how histories survive in bodies, gestures and changing landscapes, and how photography creates spaces where overlooked identities are encountered with dignity, complexity and care. Resisting academic intellectualisation, TRA pieces together tradition and transformation whilst challenging conventional narratives.
Leila, SarnoGiupi, Rione SanitàDario, San LorenzoNunzia, Rione SanitàMaurizia, Torre del Greco
RubyOlivia Noss2025, Berlin, Deutschland
Large Format Silver Gelatin Print
Ruby
Where We BelongBenii Revlon2025, Paris/New York, Frankreich/USAMuteki Gorgeous GucciMarriedKennedy Comme Des Garçons
The OldestRemigiusz Ryziński2024, Warsaw, PolandLullaLullaLullaLullaLulla
...and in between there is us.Ella Seeger2024, Tbilisi, GeorgienMystique and her sister are getting ready in their shared roomJ and S in the UFO, the city's most beautiful viewpointLiza on her balcony, where the group mostly gathersGetting ready for a performance at BassianiThe show never stops?
Terms and Conditions: 1. How can you vote? Voting takes place via the provided Typeform form. Each person may cast one vote.
2. Who is eligible to vote? All individuals aged 18 or over are eligible to participate. Participation is free of charge.
3. What happens in the event of a tie? In the event of a tie, the GAZE expert jury will decide who receives the Audience Award.
4. When does voting take place? Voting opens on October 21, 2026 and closes on November 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. The winner will be announced on November 12, 2026.
Bringing Queer Stories to Light with Sustainable Photography: Our Partner MPB
Photography is always a matter of resources. What camera do we hold in our hands? Where does the equipment that captures our visions come from? And what does that say about us as a community?
For the queer community, it has always been important to create space—spaces where we can feel safe telling our stories. Photography is a vital tool for making these stories and perspectives visible and preserving them. But sometimes, it’s not a lack of strength, talent, or ideas that stands in the way of bringing them to life. Sometimes, it’s simply a lack of the right tools. And that’s where MPB comes in.
MPB has supported Gaze from the very beginning—and not just on a whim. They’ve supported various queer projects in the past because they know that empowerment requires real resources. This isn’t a marketing gimmick, but a conscious decision: queer visibility is important to them because they understand that art is most impactful when it stems from genuine support.
The gift certificate that winners of the Audience Award receive is not merely an incentive. It’s a statement. With it, photographers can finance sustainable equipment, try out new perspectives, or expand their existing kit—all with the knowledge that it serves both their creativity and the environment.
...Two Dolls Hamam Tusidi and a Fan Debonair and Insekuer Lama in Berlin
TRA is an ongoing narrative photography project exploring gender-variant lives in Naples, weaving environmental portraits, postcard-like snapshots, archival photographs, personal objects and Super-8 film to explore liminal spaces between landscape, tradition and contemporary identities.Leila, Sarno Giupi, Rione Sanità Dario, San Lorenzo Nunzia, Rione Sanità Maurizia, Torre del Greco
Large Format Silver Gelatin PrintRuby
