Open Call for - image-based artist, lens-based artist, photographer!

Exhibition Name: What If … Exhibition
Exhibition Date: 6-9 Nov 2026, From Friday to Monday
Exhibition Venue: Photobook Cafe, 4 Leonard Circus, London, EC2A 4DQ
Hosted by: JustArt Collective, curated by Jenny Ping Lam Lin

Exhibition Intro:

When discussing how images can recreate what we imagine, have photographers or artists ever had a moment when a single image opens the door to a "what if"?

 What if I could preserve a decisive instant as a lasting memory? What if the image could propose a perfect scenario? What if I could express something or someone through the act of photography itself?

If an image has the power to create impact, then what kind of impact might it generate?

Through photographic and image-based works, this exhibition explores these possibilities.

In many everyday situations, people hold countless “what if” moments within their minds. Photography, by its nature, serves as a medium that can record both time and inner thoughts, allowing them to be translated into visual form.

More than presenting a collection of images, this exhibition invites viewers to join a thoughtful conversation. Do we truly live only in the present, or, for various reasons, do we continuously seek the possibility of a "what if"?

This event will be open to the public, with no RSVP required.

Exhibition Opening:

6 Nov 2026, from 5 PM to 8 PM.

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR WORK!

How to Apply:

There are 2 types of submission:

Type A: Single image (A4: £45/A3: £56/40×40cm for Square image: £60)

Type B: 5 images as a series (A3: £120 or 40×40cm for Square images: £150)

Please do not upload more than 1 image if you choose Type A

• Participation fee will apply for successful participants, printing fee included. The fee is non-refundable and supports The JustArt Collective Public Programme.
• The work must respond to the theme - WHAT IF.

** All selected artwork will be printed and transported to the venue by JustArt Collective**

• Analogue, digital, and alternative methods of photography are all accepted.
• All exhibition prints will be printed with JustArt on Self-Adhesive Prints.
• Anyone can submit, emerging, established, or amateur photographer; image-based artist; lens-based artist. Any age, background, and identity from anywhere in the world.
• Submission Deadline: 10 Sept 2026.

About the Venue:

The Photobook Cáfe emerged from Shoreditch’s renowned photo lab and darkroom Rapid Eye which was established in 1996.

Over the years Rapid Eye expanded their services to include studio space, classes and workshops, and in 2019 they launched the Photobook cafe bar and gallery space. In 2023, The Photobook Cáfe partner and London nightlife legend Farika Holden took a more active role to transform the food and drink.

Over the last year, new breakfast, brunch and lunch menus have been introduced as well as monthly supper clubs, house-made cocktails and a carefully curated list of beers, wines and non-alcoholic drinks.

Opportunities for Participating Artists:

• Feature your work in a prominent art space located in the heart of London - The Photobook Cafe
• Connect with fellow artists, collectors, and the public
• Participate in opening events, artist talks, and panel discussions
• Gain visibility through JustArt’s social media campaigns and professional press release coverage (Visual Art Journal), introducing the exhibition and participating artists (Our Instagram account has over 6000+ followers.)

Additional Opportunities:

• All selected artists will be featured on JustArt Collective social media.
• The exhibition will be featured on the JustArt Newspaper Club and other art platforms.
• Selected artists who exhibited with a series will be invited to have an artist interview and publish on the JustArt Newspaper Club.

Our Instagram: @Justart_collective

About Us:

JustArt Collective is a dynamic group of artists and curators united by a shared passion for the arts. Originally founded in Hong Kong (2024), the collective is now actively engaged in the UK.

Throughout our creative journey, we have recognised the vital role of community within the art world. Our mission is to bring together everyone involved in JustArt projects to form a vibrant new community.

Past Exhibition:

2026

Collective Voices 2nd: Being-in-the-World by JustArt Collective, in Safehouse 1, London, 22/05/2026-25/05/2026.

Human Voyages: The Day We Leave the Shore by Arklink, Co-host with JustArt Collective, at Indra Gallery, London, 07/04/2026-10/04/2026.

JustArt Community – Collective Voices Art Exhibition by JustArt Collective at the Whitespace Gallery in Edinburgh, 20/03/2026 - 26/03/2026.

The Shape of Anxiety: How Dreams Store Our Emotions Exhibition, curated by Will Yu and Yiwen Zhang, Co-host with JustArt Collective at the Chilli Gallery, London, 05/02/2026 - 08/02/2026.

2025

Borderlines Exhibition by Artflow Studio. Co-host with JustArt Collective at the Fitzrovia Gallery,  London, 29/12/2025 - 05/01/2026.

2025 Field of Clarity Exhibition by ArtFlow Studio, Co-Curator: Jenny Ping Lam Lin, at Photofusion Gallery, London, 29/09/2025-05/10/2025.

2025 Mengzhu Li Solo Photography Exhibition: Mother’s Daughter by JustArt Collective (Jenny Ping Lam Lin), at B.T. Batsford Gallery, London, 03/09/2025 - 07/09/2025.

Mengzhu Li Solo Photography Exhibition: Mother’s Daughter by JustArt Collective (Jenny Ping Lam Lin), at B.T. Batsford Gallery, London, 03/09/2025 - 07/09/2025.

The August Exhibition: Undercurrent by ArtFlow Studio, JustArt Collective, at B.T. Batsford Gallery, London, 01/08/2025 - 07/08/2025.

Art Market

HelloArt October Asian-Led Market by HelloArt at The out of the blue drill Hall in Edinburgh, 04/10/2025.