On March 22nd, we launched the open call for images, “When I becomes we, even illness becomes wellness“, a special call for images created in partnership between Der Greif, Vogue Italia, Magnum Photos and Picter. 

The title is a quote by Malcolm X and was chosen to encourage and display global solidarity and community.  

In the early days of March, the health and safety of millions of people around the world has been threatened by the spread of COVID-19. Since then, several countries have been forced to apply measures of social distancing to contain its deathly impact. In these unprecedented times of uncertainty and crisis, we recognize that it is of utmost importance to show solidarity and compassion towards one another, whilst ensuring everyone’s safety. 

The crisis revealed — or reminded us— that we are all equal as human beings and we are all in this together. As the news overwhelms our routines of isolation, we have decided to focus on what helps us to get through these times.  Showing compassion, solidarity and responsibility towards each other is essential to get us out of this crisis.

Therefore, we have invited image makers across the globe to visualize this message.  

We have received thousands of submissions over the course of 10 days, an outstanding quantity of compelling works. 

The selection committee has selected and edited a portfolio of 30 images by 30 photographers to inspire, give hope or just spark a little joy during these tough times.

We have now invited all selected photographers to kick off a chain of image-based conversations with their image as the starting point. They forward their image to a friend who reacts to it with another image. The friend does the same with another friend and so it goes for as long as the crisis remains. Once we’re over it, we will publish and/or exhibit all images.

You can discover and share the selected works using this link.

Thank you to all of you who participated in the Open Call. 

Selected photographers:

• Ana Lia Orezzoli
• Anne Barlinckhoff
• Balazs Fromm
• Brenda Alamilla
• Daniel Everett 
• Daniel Feistenauer
• Dustin Thierry
• Ekaterina Lukoshkova
• Elizabeth Bick 
• Evan Tetreault
• Francesco Fantini
• George Voronov 
• Hajar Benjida
• Hua Zhao
• Isabel Okoro
• Joshua Tarplin
• Krystyna Bilak
• Leonard Suryajaya
• Lindley Warren Mickunas
• Luis Alberto Rodriguez  
• Max Miechowski
• Miloushka Bokma
• Neha Hirve
• Osanna Davi
• Patrick Bienert
• Peyton Fulford 
• Thaddé Comar
• Tommy Keith
• Ute Klein
• Zachary Handley

Selection Committee:

• Gita Cooper-van Ingen (Creative Director, Editor, Der Greif)
• Simon Lovermann (Founder, Artistic Director, Der Greif; Co-Founder, CSO, Picter)
• Giada de Agostinis (Editor, Paper Journal; Editor; Communication Manager, Picter & Photograph Magazine)
• Alessia Glaviano (Brand Visual Director, Vogue Italia, director, Photo Vogue Festival)
• Chiara Bardelli Nonnino (Photo Editor, Vogue Italia & L’Uomo Vogue, curator, Photo Vogue Festival)
• Francesca Marani (Photo Editor, vogue.it, curator, Photo Vogue Festival)
• Milena Carstens (Photography Department, ZEITmagazin)
• Shannon Ghannam (Global Education Director, Magnum Photos)

Links to related content & publications on partners pages:

vogue.it/fotografia/article/when-i-becomes-we-even-illness-becomes-wellness

vogue.it/fotografia/gallery/the-30-selected-images-when-i-becomes-we-even-illness-becomes-wellness

magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/images-solidarity-community-times-covid-19-picter/

vogue.it/fotografia/article/mai-cosi-vicini-portfolio-quarantena

vogue.it/fotografia/article/all-in-this-together-photo-vogue-festival-2020-open-call

vogue.de/kultur/artikel/photo-vogue-festival-2020-mitmachen