Art curators Vera Katranidou and Paris Kapralos invite visual artists to submit their works for participation in an exhibition at the Luminous Eye art space in Athens, Greece, with the theme "Freedom & Creation: Bonds Without Constraints." The exhibition will take place in September 2023 and will also have an online presentation on the ARTgrID platform.
Eligibility. All artists living in Greece and Cyprus are eligible to apply. All the materials of the exhibition is bilingual, in Greek and English, and a bilingual digital catalog e-book will be produced for the exhibition. However, to apply you should be older than 18 years old. We can accept group submissions of collective artworks, but the rules you will go through below apply to the collective works as if the group was a single artist.
What kind of artworks do you accept? The exhibition welcomes original artworks of any style and artistic medium that engage with the theme in any way the artist deems suitable. The artworks can include painting, printmaking, photography, digital art, collage, Video Art, sculpture, ceramics, mosaics, and floor sculptures. There are no size restrictions for the artworks, as long as the weight of each piece does not exceed 10 kilograms.
Conceptual Framework / Note. Human creativity thrives on freedom. Artists capture the human experience in their works, translating it into forms and symbols that encapsulate culture. Creativity is closely connected to the need for freedom, not only from external limitations but also from obstacles stemming from within. As Sartre points out, "Freedom is the absolute necessity and the source of all creativity." When we feel free, we can develop and express the essence of our existence in ways that only art can offer. Picasso understood the connection between creative action and freedom, stating, "Art is the freedom to create without the need to secure your survival." By allowing their imagination to guide their creation, artists surpass the boundaries of the conventional and explore new visions. Kant highlights, "Imagination does not depend on the limitation of sensory impressions or the awareness of things but rather depends on the disposition of the spirit." This disposition liberates the imagination to flourish and unveil new ideas and perspectives. Artists exemplify this theory, as they need to conquer the freedom to tell their own story. The pacifist Greek painter and sculptor Sterikas Kouli left a legacy on the wall of his house in Sakouleva, Florina, with the inscription: "Creation means freedom." However, how free can anyone be today? How do the invisible bonds restrain us?
Paper artworks must be framed, and canvas artworks must be stretched.
Submission Requirements. To apply, send an email to artistsartgrid@gmail.com with the subject "FREEDOM" and include the following:
1. Photos of up to 2 available artworks, each in a separate photo file, in JPG format with high resolution and good clarity. Note that the artworks provided are not indicative. If selected, you can exclusively exhibit the artwork(s) you submitted. Artworks on paper should be photographed without frame/glass.
2. Information about the artworks, with reference to the corresponding file name (e.g., A1.JPG), listed in the following order and separated by commas: Artist's Full Name, Artwork Title, Printing Materials and Technique, Dimensions (in centimeters, Height x Width), Completion Year.
3. Your contact information: Full Name, Email, and Phone Number.
Important Notes:
- If you submit a digital artwork or a printed artwork, specify the final dimensions of the print to be exhibited in centimeters (Height x Width).
- For inquiries and questions strictly related to the submission process, send them in writing via email to the provided address, and they will be answered within 24 hours. Information regarding the event's organization and the proposal, if and when selected, will only be given to the selected artists after the submission and selection process.
- Submissions that do not include all the requested information or do not follow the prescribed format for articulating and submitting the required details will be disregarded.
The submission deadline is until Sunday, August 6, 2023, at 23:59.
*The background of the Open Call graphic is a detail from a work by the painter Foti Kllogjeri. Information about the artist can be found on the website HERE (greek-only).