Counter Histories is a Magnum Foundation fellowship for photographic projects that reinterpret the past in response to questions affecting the present and future. The 2026 edition focuses on Puerto Rico and its diaspora and supports visual work grounded in photography.
Fellows take part in an eight-month program combining virtual development sessions with one in-person symposium in Puerto Rico. Magnum Foundation runs this edition with Instituto de Observación Colectiva and former fellow Christopher Gregory-Rivera, with Mellon Foundation support and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico as host.
Benefits & funding
- Up to eight fellows each receive a $10,000 project-development grant.
- The program includes 25–30 hours of virtual fellowship activity, capped at four required online hours in any month.
- Magnum Foundation covers travel for the in-person symposium and helps ensure reliable internet access for virtual meetings.
- Fellows also receive discretionary support for individual expert sessions and creative collaborations; the 2026 page does not publish a fixed amount.
- Fellowship gatherings include English–Spanish interpretation.
Eligibility
- Applicants may be based anywhere and may hold any nationality; no residency restriction is stated.
- Applicants must be photographers or artists for whom photography is a significant part of their creative practice.
- Proposed work must concern Puerto Rico or Puerto Rican identity, including the archipelago or diaspora, and engage the Counter Histories theme.
- The project, or a substantial chapter, must be feasible to complete and prepare for public sharing by the fellowship’s end.
- No formal training, degree, or experience level is required; current students and established practitioners may apply.
- Applications are submitted by individuals, who may describe any project partners involved.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Monitor the official Counter Histories page for the next open call; the 2026 application is closed.
- 2When applications reopen, submit a current work sample, a past work sample, a short biography, and a short project description through the official form.
- 3Explain your creative inspirations, why you want to participate in the fellowship community, and what the project needs to expand and reach completion.
- 4Submit in English or Spanish and apply as an individual, identifying collaborators where relevant.
Program timeline
Virtual application Q&A session.
March 16, 2026
Application deadline at 11:59 PM EDT.
April 1, 2026
Eight-month fellowship period.
June 2026–February 2027
In-person symposium expected, with a concluding public presentation.
February 2027