Three finalists – Jana Iľková, Dominika Jackuliaková, and Tatiana Takáčová – were nominated by a professional jury for the shortlist of the Open Call for a Photography Residency in Japan. Our Japanese partner, EU-Japan Fest, has selected the winner who will travel to Japan for a three-week residency.
The selected artist is photographer Dominika Jackuliaková.
During her stay, she will be based in the Fukui Prefecture on the west coast of Japan. Often described as the “happiest region” of the country – whether for its breathtaking natural beauty or its deep-rooted Zen Buddhism – Fukui will serve as the setting for a project inspired by the theme of orientation in unfamiliar space and subjective wandering.
Her concept draws from Roland Barthes’ essay Empire of Signs, which describes the experience of a foreigner navigating a Japanese city without traditional streets, names, or addressing systems. According to Barthes, such a space cannot be navigated using a map – only through walking, observation, habit, and memory. Each discovery is fragile and irreplaceable – an approach Dominika reflects in her artistic process.
As part of the residency, Dominika has decided not to use any digital navigation tools, instead relying on intuitive exploration and photographing places that leave a visual or emotional trace. The camera will serve as a tool for recording her subjective landmarks.
The result of the project will be a visual guidebook – an artist’s map of the city created through personal experience.
Born in 1989, Dominika Jackuliaková is a photographer and educator. She grew up in Lučenec, in the south-central region of Slovakia – an area she often reflects on in her long-term documentary series. Her work explores themes of mobility and the changing relationship to land and home – in Slovakia, rural areas, and abroad.
Autobiographical elements are always present in her stories and often influence her choice of locations and people she photographs.
In 2023, she received the Urbanautica Institute Award, and in 2019 she was awarded a Fulbright Research Grant.
Her work has been exhibited at Filter Space (Chicago, USA), the Slovak National Gallery (Bratislava), Gallery Kurzor (Prague), the City Gallery of Blansko (Czech Republic), and Photoport Gallery (Bratislava).
Her photographs are included in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago and the Slovak National Gallery.
This international residency programme is part of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 initiative and offers unique opportunities for Slovak artists to develop their work in a global context.
We warmly congratulate Dominika and wish her an inspiring and enriching stay!
📸 More about the finalists and the project (in Slovak):
🔗 https://www.trencin2026.eu/finalistky-otvorenej-vyzvy-na-fotograficku-rezidenciu-v-japonsku
🔗 Learn more about Dominika’s work: https://jackuliakova.com
