This year’s AIS theme of Place & Space has been inspired by last year’s theme ‘Migration’, during which representations of places and spaces began to emerge, with entries from women discussing the movement of people across locations, including people who have been displaced, to those living in areas where there has been migration from other communities.  We became curious about seeing more work that delved into this intriguing theme. During the last few years, against the backdrop of the pandemic, our notions of place and space have shifted both personally and globally. This year’s online exhibition provides an insight into what this theme means to the artists featured, and in turn, asks us to consider the spaces we are navigating within our own lives, how we occupy these, and how our own perceptions of place are constantly forming and reforming. We’re excited to have received over 200 submissions, from over 50 countries for our third AIS Open Call. Our Jury shortlisted 20 artists, and the 5 finalists selected for this exhibition have been chosen for the innovative ways they’ve responded to and interpreted the theme. In The blue of the far distance, Emilia Martin explores light pollution and stargazing (or lack of) and the escapism it offers. Emilia’s images evoke a sense of surrealism, bringing a sense of collective calm, asking the viewers to lose themselves in a galaxy far away. Farzana Akhtar’s images document the gender based violence in Bangladesh. Over the past few decades, acid attacks have increased in Bangladesh and around the world, these violent acts are often revenge attacks against women. Most of the attacks take place at home or in a public place. The double exposed images juxtapose the portraits against public spaces, and question where are women safe?   Laura San Segundo explores the unconscious mind and the visions it creates, whilst sleeping or absent-minded, in The Circular Enclosure. Laura re-creates these visions, using archival imagery and images taken in Iceland. By using archival images and illusion, she implores the viewer to study the images closely.  The Banshee is about Marysa Dowling’s relationship with her mother and maternal Irish heritage. Her mother passed away shortly before Covid, and the work is a conversation between Marysa and her mother, as she reconnects to Ireland, her second home.  The conceptual series Inner Landscape by Leafy Yeh's work is shaped by Chinese ink paintings. The long-exposed landscapes connect the landscape and a woman’s inner self, forcing you to assess your relationship with nature. The images are beautifully created, inviting you to question whether they are photographs, or in fact, paintings?