Eidolon Centre for Everyday Photography was calling artists, academics, enthusiasts, and professionals, who have a passion and serious interest in vernacular photography and everyday imaging to apply with ideas in two categories, exploring, promoting and conserving vernacular photography. During the 3,5 months long application period we received 103 applications from all over the world.
The Eidolon Grant aims to identify phenomena, collections, histories, practices, and trends within vernacular photography with the aim of offering new interpretations and analyses – and the received works did just that.

Click here if you would like to know more about the first Eidolon Grant's international jury
After a quite enthusiastic and gratifying jury session our decision makers – Özge Calafato, Mattie Colquhoun, Joachim Schmid, Róza Tekla Szilágyi, and Christopher Pinney – chose eight applicants as the receivers of the first Eidolon Grant.
Let us introduce you the first Eidolon Grantees:
Category 1 – Text, essays, book ideas
Amount distributed in this category:
7.000 EUR

Vindhya Buthpitiya
Support for writing a long-form essay about a chosen sub-topic from the author's original book idea titled Studio Ilankai
– the sub-topic is chosen by the author
"The sparse scholarship on Sri Lanka’s photographic practices has long centered on colonial and elite practitioners. Multiple colonialities of occupation, class, language, and ethnicity have long determined which photographers, images and narratives have been preserved as a part of Sri Lanka’s photographic history. The extraordinary contributions to and through photography made by Sri Lanka’s Tamil-speaking studio photographers are largely overlooked and repeatedly sidelined, remaining only in fragmented oral histories. These historiographic deficiencies have been compounded by war and majoritarianism, diminishing more broadly, the work of photographers and studio practice in Sri Lanka’s Tamil- speaking north and east. Studio photography is also rarely valued for its aesthetic or technical originality, beyond its perceived necessity and a means to facilitate documentation.
Within such a setting, Studio Ilankai, referring to Ilankai (Lanka) the Tamil name for the island, is most significantly an endeavor to honor the work of Tamil studio photographers and highlight the enduring value of everyday photographic practices. Studio Ilankai aims to examine the vibrant daily workings of photography studios in the north and east of Sri Lanka based on archival and ethnographic research focused on the history and role of studios in the social, cultural and political life of Sri Lanka’s Tamil speaking communities."

Mohini Chandra
Support for writing a long-form essay about a chosen sub-topic from the author's original book idea titled Absence
– the sub-topic is chosen by the author
"Absence considers everyday photography through narratives of migration and personal memory. A descendant of Indian indentured labourers in Fiji, the artist and author Mohini Chandra takes us on a highly personal journey through diaspora and photography. These are geographically and temporally complex voyages, encompassing India and the Pacific through to Europe, Australia and North America. This is an experience of globalised and postcolonial travel, made visual, personal, through family photography.
A descendant of Indian indentured labourers in Fiji, the artist and author Mohini Chandra takes us on a highly personal journey through diaspora and photography. These are geographically and temporally complex voyages, encompassing India and the Pacific through to Europe, Australia and North America. This is an experience of globalised and postcolonial travel, made visual, personal, through family photography. Here she also acknowledges her mixed race heritage- in considering both Indian photographic studios in Fiji (run by close relatives on her father’s side) as well as the pioneering amateur English photographers of the late 1800’s (on her mother’s side). Here the author is uniquely placed to view the colonial project from two perspectives. This book considers hidden narratives of intimacy and personal memory, suggesting that ‘absence’ is as critical to an understanding of photography as that which is obviously present, or apparent, within the image. In doing so, Absence also reinterprets key photographic histories and texts, such as the discourse around Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida (1980), within a contemporary and globalized context."

Kelly McCormick
Support for writing the long-form essay titled Vernacular Photographs That Change Japanese History: The Ladies Camera Club, 1937-1942
"How does our understanding of the history of Japanese photography and of modern Japan change when we find out that 1937 to 1942, usually thought of as a time when women photographers were forced to cease taking photographs due to the war, was actually a time when they flourished? What is more, how does our understanding of the vibrant Ladies Camera Club (L.C.C.) change when we learn that they were not, as many scholars have insisted, led by the prominent male photographer Nojima Yasuzō, but democratically formed as a club where members had equal say in activities and were primarily guided by one of their members, the famous woman mountain climber Murai Yoneko? The recent discovery of the club’s correspondences, agendas, and ephemera in the private collection of Murai Yoneko, housed in the Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature, provides the opportunity to re-write the history of Japanese vernacular photography as something women were deeply engaged in as total war raged across East Asia.
Work by the L.C.C. is a form of women’s involvement in photography in this period that has been acknowledged but misread; through extensive engagement with the records of the clubs’ activities and photographs made by the club’s members in an essay made possible by the Eidolon Foundation I will re-write the history of Japanese photography in this period by emphasizing two aspects of the contributions of vernacular photography: first, examining these long-ignored networks between the women of the club and local newspapers and international organizations, I validate their photographic practice as the cite of social critique and economic freedom against the backdrop of a total war that sought to subsume individuality into the state and label photography as a luxury past time to be abandoned. Second, I complicate this picture by seeking to understand the conditions that made it possible for an amateur photography club to thrive in the context of escalating warfare."

Pelin Aytemiz Karslı
Support for writing a not-yet-written chapter from the author's original book idea titled Captured grief: Vernacular mourning photography in Turkey – Exploring cultural practices through photographic narratives
– the chapter is chosen by the author
"I have been exploring the relationship between death and photography since the early years of my academic career. My master ’ s thesis attempted to make sense of dispossessed family photographs, which I termed "spectral images, " in the discourses of antique market owners and collectors. This involved mapping how a very personal image travels from the private space of the home to the vitrine of an antique shop or a desk in a flea market. Later, fascinated by the European post-mortem photography tradition, I was intrigued by the question, "Why would parents want to possess post-mortem photographs of their children?" I explored the concept of post-mortem photographic objects as ‘ souvenirs ’ (borrowing Stewart's (2003) concept) of grieving parents, wondering whether post-mortem daguerreotypes act like souvenirs of a now distant time once shared between parents and their deceased children. These "photographic objects, " which demand to be touched and handled as well as looked at, hold an invisible and magical quality, as Barthes once wrote. These interests led me to trace post-mortem photographs in the context of Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, for my unpublished PhD dissertation, titled Representing Absence and the Absent One: Remembering and Longing Through Mourning Photography.
Exploring different practices of photographing and representing the dead, my dissertation examines how deceased loved ones are remembered and longed for through vernacular photography within the context of family in Turkey. Approaching mourning as a long-term experience, the primary objective is to analyze the alterations of the absence/presence of the mourned one in mourning photography, different from European examples. This study aims to expand the parameters of the discussion on the relationship between different types of photography and mourning, remembering, longing for, and bidding farewell to the dead, and to establish a new area of study concerning death photography in Turkey."
Category 2 – Enhancing everyday photography collections and archives in various forms
Amount distributed in this category:
18.000 EUR

Lukas Birk
Jugaar – a Pakistani guide to aspirational living
– the Eidolon Grant supports the development and realisation of the exhibition
"Photography can be a powerful medium for fantasy and aspiration, allowing individuals to envision and present themselves in new, imagined identities, lives, and living conditions. This transformative process not only enables self-expression but also offers a means of escape from everyday reality.
The project investigates the collage-making process of photographers in often makeshift studios in Pakistan. The base of this investigation is a collection of client photographs and composition elements like landscapes, interior design, flowers, clothing, animals, cars, furniture, weapons, movie posters, religious symbols, and more. These images, some of them discarded prints, others digital files, were collected by National Geographic photographer Matthieu Paley on one of his numerous research trips.

A photograph from the project
Jugaar or Jugaad is a term used on the Indian subcontinent to describe easy solutions to fix a problem, mostly cheap, quick, and easy. Most certainly vernacular. Vernacular photography plays a crucial role in documenting the fabric of society. The images and practices we are investigating go beyond the usual portraiture. As the photographer crafts to the wishes of the client or the imagination of the computer operator, fictional lives and imagined alternative realities of aspirational living are created, often in makeshift studios set up at religious festivals and fun fairs. The photographer sublimates the client. The final montage is a mirror of primarily male aspiration, it embodies the colourful ambitions and, at the same time, the shortcomings of society.
After the initial research period, we will edit a book that will be printed locally in Pakistan to create an object that feels, in its materiality, the way the original images and related print materials feel. Local printing is an ethical choice for us, aiming to support the local economy and make the publication accessible in Pakistan at an adapted and affordable price. Simultaneously, we will organise an initial exhibition with materials in Europe that serves as spatial experimentation. This exhibition will then travel. Potential exhibition venues are The Lahore University in Pakistan, Serendipity Festival in Goa, India, IVS Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan and Gu.Pho Vernacular Festival in Italy."
The team behind the project: Matthieu Paley, Zarmeene Shah, Lukas Birk and Emmanuelle Halkin.

Abdo Shanan
A multimedia project titled The Right to a Memory
– the Eidolon Grant supports the short videos included in the project
"The Right to a Memory examines the role of photography in Algerian society, where it has often been used as a tool of state propaganda through government-owned newspapers. This project aims to construct an inclusive counter-narrative by using family photo albums as a foundation to rebuild a narrative that is more reflective of Algerian society.

Scan from a found family album
While sitting in a café in Algiers, a friend pointed out the photographs on the walls—all depicting Algiers during the colonial era, taken by Europeans. This observation raises an important question: why, 60 years after independence, are we still decorating our spaces with colonial-era images? These images, created during a time when photography and visual arts were used to enforce narratives of colonial superiority, often fit into Orientalist stereotypes. Why not use contemporary photographs instead? But where can people find more recent images? From archives? But which ones?
The historical use of photography, first by colonial powers and later by the Algerian state, has fostered a complex relationship between the medium and Algerian society. Despite this, photography remains a trusted means for people to preserve their memories and identities—capturing birthdays, weddings, family gatherings, and candid moments. When I look at these family photo albums, I see more than just images; I see a reflection of society and something deeply relatable as an individual.
The project will be realised through various mediums (photobook, zines, exhibition and short videos) – Eidolon’s contribution will support the short videos, combining archival photography with a mashup of music and sound recordings of daily lives as well as interviews with individuals (photographers, photo album owners...)."

Hande Sever
A 30 minutes video essay titled My Beloved Pauline
"The project is a video essay examining German imperialism in West Asia, focusing on Turkey, before and during World War I through the lens of a vernacular photo album entitled Meine Liebe Pauline, zur Erinnerung an Türkei-Kleinasien 1917/181 (My Beloved Pauline, in Memory of Turkey-Asia Minor, 1917/18).

The cover of the album
This album – discovered during an archival research at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, within their Pierre de Gigord Collection of Ottoman Photography – created by an unidentified German military officer stationed in the Ottoman Empire, contains personal snapshots dedicated to a distant 'beloved Pauline.' These intimate photographs offer a glimpse into the officer’s daily life and moments he wished to share with her. In stark contrast to this romantic dedication, the album also serves as a documentary of German military and colonial operations in the Ottoman Empire. It captures significant events such as the Armenian Genocide in Şebinkarahisar (Giresun, Turkey), the smuggling of Anatolian archaeological artifacts in Değirmentaş (Kayseri, Turkey), and the construction of the Baghdad Railway in Ulukışla (Niğde, Turkey). Thus, the album functions as both a personal keepsake and a historical record of German colonial and military activities in the Ottoman Empire, bridging the gap between everyday life and monumental historical events. The project aims to explore and tell these intertwined stories, providing a unique perspective on colonial history and personal experience.
Our 30-minute video essay weaves together vernacular photographs from the album with new footage and sound, aiming to bridge images of the past with contemporary image practices. Through this approach, our project aims to interrogate these vernacular images and uncover the collective histories and memories obscured by official historical narratives and their actors, Page 3 of 3 Character count: 8230 including those of the album's amateur photographer. The video will feature shots of sites that we were able to identify in the photo album in Istanbul but also outside of it, in cities such as Giresun, Niğde, and Kayseri."
The team behind the project: Philipp Farra and Hande Sever

Benedek Farkas
New body of work titled A memory from City Park
"While browsing through an online flea market of postcards, I came across a peculiar portrait that piqued my interest. It depicted a woman dressed in frilly dress and apron reminiscent of folkloric wear with the following words arranged around her short stature: “Memory from Judit, the world’s shortest singer.”

A postcard from the project
At that moment I was not quite sure what I was looking at. The posed nature of the photograph and her forced smile made me feel uneasy, but at the same time I felt a deep sense of empathy towards the woman in the postcard. I placed a bid on the item and began to look into the story of Judit. Through my initial research I found out that Judit (by her maiden name, Judit Petrovszki) was one of the actresses of the ‘Lilliput Theater’ which operated in Budapest’s City Park from the mid 1920s up until 1950. The Lilliput Theatre was one of the most popular attractions of the City Park’s amusement grounds, visited by lower and upper classes alike, who were looking for a thrill and some entertainment on the weekends.
The theatre’s troupe changed over the years, but as the outdated and derogatory term Lilliputian suggests, the actors were little people exclusively. The group was called to life and directed by Ferenc Gerencsér, a savvy businessman of average stature, whose intentions were unclear, but the testimonials of the actors indicate that he was no stranger to exploitative modes of showmanship.
With the Eidolon Grant I wish to develop a body of work, which uses my collection of fifteen-plus postcards from the Lilliput Theatre as a starting point and as raw material at the same time. Social imaging and the representation of little people stands at the core of this historical and visual research. Through the photographic cues and codes found in the postcards and other visual sources from that time period I wish to gain an understanding of how the image of ‘disability’ was constructed and circulated by the means of commercial photography and memorabilia such as postcards. The story of the Lilliput Theatre came to an abrupt ending in 1950 with the dawn of communism, so I am also interested in how the performers of the troupe integrated into communist society and the workforce."
The project descriptions are quoted from the grant winners' application materials.
In the coming weeks, we'll be introducing each grant winner and their projects across our social media platforms. We'll share updates on the Category 1 texts published in Eidolon Journal and the progress and debut of Category 2 projects as they come to life!
We have great news for those who missed the opportunity this year: the Eidolon Grant will be back in 2025!
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If you would like to see the original Eidolon Grant announcement click here – if you would like to know more about this year's jury click here and here.