Mirielle Rohr, series “Money Making Child”, 2024, École cantonale d’art de Lausanne, Switzerland
This year’s laureates explore absence, migration, and material presence, while gaining visibility at Paris Photo and Gare de Lyon this November
The latest edition of Carte Blanche Students highlights the breadth of concerns shaping contemporary photography among emerging European artists. Selected from more than 600 submissions, the four laureates of 2025 – Kim-Camille Kreuz, Tom Lyon, Mirielle Rohr, and Viktoriia Tymonova – will show their work both in the public space of Paris’s Gare de Lyon and at Paris Photo 2025 (13 to 16 November). One of them will also receive the Saif Carte Blanche Students Grant to support a new project.
Kim‑Camille Kreuz is pursuing a Master’s in Fine Arts at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Her project, I can’t tell you right now, combines UV prints on glass mounted on wooden supports, exploring the space between visibility and absence. Through daily bus commutes, she captures fragments of urban life, creating a series that reflects on presence and disappearance. Her work delves into the indexical nature of photography, where the medium serves as a trace of reality, emphasising the materiality and spatiality of the objects depicted.
Tom Lyon is a Master’s student at KASK School of Arts. His project Arena addresses migration, border regimes, and the politics of imagery. By combining documentary fragments with found media, Lyon interrogates visual narratives surrounding displacement and humanitarian crises. His work aims to challenge dominant narratives and offer a re-evaluation of events and locations, creating a new semiology of images that encourages reflection, empathy, and dialogue.
Mirielle Rohr is completing her Master’s in photography at École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL). Her project, Money Making Child, explores the troubling world of “sharenting” and child influencers, focusing on the monetisation of children’s online presence by their parents. Using AI-generated images, Rohr highlights the hidden realities behind the curated innocence of online children, particularly girls, who are often encouraged to adopt adult behaviours and aesthetics. Her work critiques the commercialisation of childhood and the blurring lines between play and work in the digital age.
Viktoriia Tymonova is a Master’s student at the Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague (UMPRUM). Her project We want to know the truth delves into the boundary between official history and alternative narratives through fiction, magic, conspiracy theories, and the paranormal. Using reenactments, hoaxes, and memory as creative tools, Tymonova investigates mystification and the tension between dominant stories and hidden ones. Her work offers a unique perspective on how alternative narratives challenge mainstream historical accounts.
Beyond the exhibitions, the program has strengthened its partnership with FUTURES, the European Photography Platform. All 20 finalists will join FUTURES’ 2026–2028 Educational Program, gaining training in professional skills, visibility through its digital platform, and access to curators via its large-scale networking event. Among the laureates, one artist will also be invited into the FUTURES Residency Program, which combines mentorship, public engagement, and international exposure.
Founded by Paris Photo, Picto Foundation, and SNCF Gares & Connexions, with the support of Saif, La Copie Privée, and FUTURES, Carte Blanche Students has become both a showcase and a springboard for young photographers. In 2025, the program underscores not only what these artists are making now, but also how institutions are investing in their futures.
