These terms and conditions define the relationship between artists and the organizers of the ABSURIA International Festival of Abstract and Surrealist Photography in Tours (non-profits organization).

1- Prizes

The organizers will select, from among those registered for the competition, the photographers whose work will be exhibited: the nominees.

The nominated photographers will be exhibited:

• in physical exhibition venues in the city of Tours
• in dedicated digital galleries on the Festival website: www.absuria.fr

The jury will select the winners of the Awards from among the nominees.

Award categories

Professional Category
Abstraction: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prizes
Surrealism: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prizes

Amateur Category
Abstraction: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prizes
Surrealism: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prizes

Special prizes may be awarded by competition partners. The prizes will be published on the ABSURIA International Festival of Abstract and Surrealist Photography website.

Prize winners will be featured in exhibitions.

An exclusive work of art created specifically for the ABSURIA competition will be presented to each winner.

2 – Benefits for winning and nominated artists – Image usage rights for prizes.

Nominated artists will be exhibited as part of ABSURIA and will benefit from inclusion in the ABSURIA Festival’s promotional tools.

Nominated artists receive a certificate of participation and selection for the ABSURIA Festival.

They are published in the digital galleries on the ABSURIA Festival website. They remain on display in the ABSURIA Festival web galleries for the year of their nomination, along with the winners and the titles of the awards they received.

Artists may include their nomination in their own communications, with the option of including the image of the award. These rights are granted only to nominees. Winners may use references to their award and the image of the award.

The representation of the ABSURIA Awards is the property of the ABSURIA association, which manages the International Festival of Abstract and Surrealist Photography in Tours.

​3 – Registration fees

Artists may submit one or more works:

 Confirmation and payment of registration constitute unconditional acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Payment is made in local currency by credit card, debit card, or PayPal.

Allocation of registration fees

Registration fees are allocated to the management of administrative and technical files, the printing costs of the works, and the prizes for the Artists.

4 – Copyright

ABSURIA respects your rights and does not claim any copyright on the images you submit to the contest; you will retain full copyright for each work.

4.1 Artists who have created a personal online space remain the owners of all copyrights relating to the works of art and information contained in their application file.

4.2 Finalists and winners grant ABSURIA a free reproduction right, limited to 99 years, for their works and across all territories.

The right of reproduction is limited to communication by ABSURIA and its partners (press releases, publications on the website, publications on social networks, all types and media of ABSURIA communication, etc.) worldwide. Each publication must be accompanied by the artist’s name and, if technically possible, the URL of their website or Instagram or Facebook page.

No work may be marketed directly by ABSURIA without the express authorization of the artist. Only the exhibition catalog/book may be marketed by ABSURIA, respecting all information related to the authors of the published photographs.

5 – Entry form – registration

Participants in the competition must be aged 18 or over on the date of registration. It is open to professionals and amateurs with no age or geographical restrictions.

Each artist must complete an entry form and pay the registration fee based on the number of works entered.

Each registration is limited to 6 works. There is no limit to the number of registrations.

The information contained in the registration forms must be accurate, otherwise the entry will be disqualified.

Any type of camera may be used to capture an image for the competition, including a cell phone. Photographs taken without a camera on photosensitive paper may also be submitted.

6 – Artificial Intelligence

Any image created solely from generative AI using a prompt is excluded from the ABSURIA competition.

ABSURIA, the Abstract and Surrealist Photography Festival in Tours, is a Photography Festival and not a Digital Art Festival.

By participating in the ABSURIA competition, you agree to abide by the ABSURIA code of ethics.

7 – Description of technical data

Image file requirements

To enter the contest, you must submit low-resolution image files using the form on the Website.

The format must be JPEG and must not exceed 6 Mo. No watermarks, borders, or signatures may be included. Images must not be compressed or placed in a folder.

No digital files will be returned.

Please ensure that you have a copy of the files entered in the contest. ABSURIA will take all reasonable measures to ensure the secure storage and backup of the files entered, but cannot be held responsible for exceptional circumstances, including cases of force majeure.

The organizers cannot be held responsible for images submitted incorrectly.

Nominated photographers will have 10 days to provide the organizers with a high-resolution version of the shortlisted image, if necessary. The file must match the color and cropping of the low-resolution JPEG file originally submitted during registration.

Failure to provide a high-resolution file within 10 days of the request may result in disqualification. If you are unable to provide the information by the deadline but contact ABSURIA to inform the organizers within the 10-day period, ABSURIA reserves the right to grant the participant additional time based on the specific circumstances. Any extension is at the sole discretion of ABSURIA.

8 – Printing of exhibited works

The works exhibited will be printed at the organizers’ expense, unless otherwise specified by the photographer, who will send them in a timely manner and in accordance with the organizers’ technical requirements. These details will be specified by the organizers to the nominees. The prints produced by the organizer will be made according to the organization’s decisions: type of medium and format. Minimum size 24×30 cm. The final printing technique will be determined by the organization depending on the exhibition venue.

9 – The Jury – Decision

The jury is composed of the organizers and art professionals. Its decisions are final. The artists who own the works selected by the Jury to be exhibited during the ABSURIA Festival and nominated for the Prizes will be notified individually by email at the address indicated on the registration form.

​10 – Refund – Waiver

All artist registrations for the ABSURIA Festival Competition, once paid and accepted, are final. No refunds will be due by the organizer.

11 – Exclusion

Any representations that may offend moral sensibilities, be shocking, pornographic, or violate copyright laws may be refused without explanation by the jury.

12 – Artificial Intelligence

If you are an artist, AI will not create for you. By registering for the Absuria competition, you agree to abide by the code of ethics.

13 – Legal liability

The participant releases the Organizer from any claims, demands, losses, damages, and expenses (including legal fees) that the Organizer may suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with any violation by the participant of the rights of third parties.

14 – Cancellation

The Organizer shall not be held liable for any cancellation or postponement resulting from a case of force majeure as defined by Article 1218 of the French Civil Code and considered as such by French case law and courts: “Force majeure in contractual matters occurs when an event beyond the control of the debtor, which could not reasonably have been foreseen at the time of conclusion of the contract and whose effects cannot be avoided by appropriate measures, prevents the debtor from performing its obligation.”

​15 – Modification

These rules may be modified at the initiative of the ABSURIA Competition and Festival organization without this being considered in any way prejudicial to the Artists.

16 – Jurisdiction

All entries to the photography competition organized by the ABSURIA Festival are subject to these rules and regulations and to French law. In the event of a dispute or complaint, the Artist shall first contact the organizer to seek an amicable solution. Disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Tours, France.

This contract is written in French, the only language of reference for any legal exchange. The English version is provided for the convenience of the user and cannot be used as a reference in the event of a dispute, given the possible interpretations associated with translation.