On World Photography Day (August 19), we celebrate the power of photography to bring stories to light. This year, both World Photography Day and the annual Wereldmuseum photo contest are centered around the theme Home.
Entry period: August 1 through August 31, 2026
Announcement of selection: September 16, 2026
With this photo contest, we invite you to capture your personal interpretation of “Home” in a photograph. Perhaps home is a place, a person, a memory, or a feeling. Share your photo and the story behind it for a chance to be featured in our digital publication, gain exposure through the Wereldmuseum’s online channels, and have an exclusive conversation with the photography curator.
Anyone is welcome to participate! Be sure to review the terms and conditions here. By participating, you agree to these terms.
The ten winners will be announced on September 16, 2026. They will be notified personally via email and on the Wereldmuseum’s online channels.
At Wereldmuseum, people and their stories are at the heart of everything we do. Stories about heritage and identity, about journeys and arrivals, about memories that shape us and connections that give us a sense of belonging. They show that “home” can mean something different to everyone, but that the feeling of home connects us all.
For this photo contest, we invite you to tell your story. Capture what “home” means to you. It could be a person, a community, a ritual, a landscape, an object, or a moment—big or small, near or far.
Show us through your lens where you feel at home, and share the story behind your photo.
The jury will select ten photos from all entries. From this shortlist, the jury will then choose one grand prize winner and two jury favorites. In addition, the public will have the opportunity to vote for a people’s choice winner via Wereldmuseum’s social media channels.
All selected participants will receive the selection prize. The grand prize winner and jury favorites will also receive the additional prizes listed below.
The selection
This prize consists of:
Grand Prize Winner
Receives the selection prize plus:
Jury Favorite: Story
Receives the selection prize plus:
Jury Favorite: Perspective
Receives the selection prize plus:
The photos will be judged by, among others:
The photo contest runs from August 1 through August 31, 2026. Please email your entry no later than August 31, 2026, to fotowedstrijd@wereldmuseum.nl with the subject line: “Photo Contest Entry 2026.”
Congratulations Albert Stevanus, Boudie Rijkschroeff, Chris den Engelsman, Khalid Abdou, Monsieur Lafayette, Rosa van der Linden, Ruby Joemai, Sethi Djegane Gueye, Sing Dekker and Xaveer May!
Thank you for sharing your perspective on global citizenship with us. We were moved by the stories behind the lens. View their images and stories here.
Valeria Posada Villada: "The Wereldmuseum manages an impressive photo collection of around 700,000 works, dating from 1850 to the present day – from glass negatives and slides to albums, models, and textile objects. As a curator, I immerse myself in this collection and make connections with current themes such as memory, migration, history, and resistance. I do this through exhibitions, publications, and close collaborations with communities and researchers.
The photos from our collection – and those in this article – offer an open view of the world, seen through the eyes of diverse creators and stories. They show photography as a medium that is in constant dialogue with artistic traditions and historical moments that have shaped our present.
Each photo tells its own story of global citizenship—about solidarity, struggle, freedom, or (in)justice. Through which lens do you see the world?