---
title: PORTAL - at the edge of beginning
description: >-
  International photography competition seeking images at the edge of
  transformation. $1,000 in cash awards + online exhibition on Decagon Gallery.
url: 'https://www.artsume.com/programs/7e89dfc9-d0f1-484c-9ff4-314323b48f33'
type: program
status: closed
createdAt: '2026-05-25'
updatedAt: '2026-09-30'
programType: Prize/award
organization: Decagon Gallery
organizationUrl: 'https://www.artsume.com/o/decagon-gallery'
deadline: '2026-06-03'
entryFee: 25 USD
location: 'New York, NY, United States'
isOnline: false
compensationRange: >-
  $1,000 total cash awards: 1st place $500, 2nd $250, 3rd $150, two Honorable
  Mentions $50 each
disciplines:
  - photography
---

# PORTAL - at the edge of beginning

**Hosted by:** Decagon Gallery

**Type:** Prize/award | **Location:** New York, NY, United States | **Deadline:** June 3, 2026 | **Entry fee:** $25

## About This Program

> "Portal, transformation, threshold — photographs suspended between states of visibility and disappearance, movement and stillness, entry and refusal"

A portal is not simply an opening. It is a condition — a space where something begins to shift, dissolve, emerge, or remain unresolved. Decagon Gallery invites photographers worldwide to submit work for Portal, an exhibition focused on images that exist at the edge of transformation. We are interested in photographs that hold tension rather than explain it. The strongest works will not describe transition literally; they will embody it through atmosphere, structure, presence, absence, or psychological instability within the frame. A portal may appear as a physical passage, but it does not have to. What matters is the feeling that something is at stake. We are drawn to photographs suspended between states: visibility and disappearance, movement and stillness, intimacy and distance, entry and refusal. We welcome images that feel unresolved, uncertain, emotionally charged, or quietly disorienting. Literal interpretations such as doors, windows, tunnels, or corridors are welcome only when the image itself carries genuine tension.

## Eligibility & Requirements

- **Geographic Eligibility:** International
- **Disciplines:** photography

### Additional Requirements

Entry Fee: $25 for up to 8 photographs. Open to photographers worldwide. All photographic styles and processes are welcome. Each submission may include up to 8 images. Submit JPG files sized to 2100 pixels on the long side. Images should not contain text, watermarks, borders, frames, or additional graphic elements. Name files as 'First Name-Last Name_title.jpg'.

## Compensation & Benefits

$1,000 total cash awards: 1st place $500, 2nd $250, 3rd $150, two Honorable Mentions $50 each

**Includes:** Prize

## Timeline

- **Opens:** May 25, 2026
- **Deadline:** June 3, 2026
- **Program Start:** June 20, 2026
- **Program End:** August 20, 2026

## How to Apply

Apply at: https://form.jotform.com/260567487749173