Mailart & ArtByMail // open_calls & exhibitions repository
last updated on 2025-04-18 17:04:37 / 1 days ago32 open_calls
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Migrations ■
Movement and mobility are features of developed organisms, they are also means by which creatures, including we, orientate ourselves in and across the world. Today people and populations shift and change location for opportunity or leave under pressure. Archaeology tells us that pre-history saw radiating flows from Africa toward new lives East and West. And our futures will be rich with new Migrations.
While there remain few migratory peoples today, the migratory movement of critters, of birds, land animals and sea creatures continue. Migrations mysterious and essential, large and small: wildebeest move for pasture, zooplankton up for food and down for safety, but sand dunes migrating, who knew?
Artists are migrants. We live, move, work, communicate and trade within flows of migrating information. Geographically and digitally our ideas and work travel. In the street, on the kitchen table or a screen, in the studio or workshop, we encounter each other. You are coming the other way with something new; I take it up, pass it on. Whether actual or virtual, migrants exchange, collaborate and offer aid, ideas and support through shared mobility and movement.
We offer the idea of Migrations freely and in the plural. Interpret it as human, animal, mineral, biological, geographic, gendered, geologic, spiritual or cultural. The effect might be close or far, the scale, visibility and impact global, local or microscopic. Over to you now!
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In the eyes of my mother I see … / In the voice of my father I hear …
Send us a sentence of maximum 10 words in a visually attractive way on a Postcard.
Your sentence should complement (or fit on the dots) of one of the two following phrases, “In the eyes of my mother I see … “ or “In the voice of my father I hear …”.
Your submission is preferably in English, French, German or Dutch but other languages are permitted. It may be non-readable due to the graphic representation.
But please provide also a readable version in one of the four languages for instance at the bottom of the card..
All submissions will be put into a collective poem which will be assembled by the organisation.
The poem will be exhibited, performed and a video will be made and put on the site of Artists in Motion (AiM)
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Mail Art about the Legs
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The Sowing of Hope - Demeter and Persephone ■
This exhibition draws inspiration from the ancient myth of Demeter and Persephone, a story of loss, sorrow, and the hope of renewal. When Demeter lost her daughter, the earth ceased to grow. This symbolic narrative resonates with modern challenges: climate change, depletion of natural resources, agricultural struggles, and inequality in food distribution.
Artists are encouraged to create works expressing the anguish, anticipation, and call to action in the face of these global issues. Their pieces may explore themes of loss, the quest for solutions, or hope for sustainable agriculture and equitable food distribution.
The exhibition aims to be a platform for reflection and expression, encouraging artists to address the theme through contemporary art and highlighting the importance of caring for our planet.
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fluxus for 2025 ■
Fluxus is an art movement founded by George Maciunas (1931-1978) in wich it is not the work of art that matters, but the creative idea.
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COLLECTIVELY ■
In Japan, the popular saying 人は人によって成立する (“People are supported by others”) reflects the importance of cooperation and interpersonal relationships in society. In English, “pay it forward” encourages the act of doing something for someone without expecting anything in return, creating a chain of kindness.
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Collectively ■
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Fairytales ■
“The short story offers a model for life, a life-giving and encouraging model that remains in the unconscious containing all the positive possibilities of life.”
- Marie-Louise von Franz
Fairy tales were and are part of the childhood of many of us and are still found today in oral traditions as well as in literary works. I'm an art therapist and I'm passionate about these narratives! For years, I've been using fairy tales as an important and powerful tool in my work as an art therapist.
Creating Art Mail with the theme of Fairy Tales will be a return to the memories of the past and an opportunity to reread a familiar story with a new narrative, after all, stories vary according to the historical and geographical context.
I invite anyone and everyone interested to take part in this call, collaborating in putting together a collection of Fairy Tale-themed mail art for use in studies and research.
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Mandalas and their Universes ■
Mandalas, with their rich history, symbolism and diverse cultural applications, represent an invitation to introspection, self-discovery and connection with the universe around us.
By exploring the world of mandalas, we embark on a journey of personal and collective transformation, seeking meaning, peace and the full realization of our human potential.
I am an art therapist and interested in mandalas. Working with mandalas is a powerful tool in therapeutic, clinical and educational contexts.
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ABRACADABRA ■
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Future Earth
Participants must complete the entry form that can be either downloaded from www.inter-art.ro, or requested by email at info@inter-art.ro
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Fire of bonfires in the culture of peoples, Jaanipaev 2025 Estonia ■
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Mulhausen
The children of the Les Clés de Champs school, in the village of Mulhausen, Alsace, are looking to contact people living in places with the same name… almost.
Mulhausen means “The house of the mill”.
In France, in Europe, on the other side of the world…
In French, in dialect, in patois, in the language of your country…
A city, a neighbourhood, a village, a locality…
A school, a child, an adult…
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Gyrate
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kreiseln ■
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Change ■
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Coffee
Everything about coffee and its culture.
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Message in a bottle ■
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Stop Sex Colonialism in Ukraine ■
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BANANAS, PINEAPPLES, MANGOES, AND PAPAYA = TROPICAL FRUITS
The Intercultural project “BRAVE”, which brings a bit of BRAazil to VEnice, aims to celebrate Brazilian culture with Brazil enthusiasts in a tribute to our heritage. To decorate these events, I propose a TROPICAL FRUITS mail art call for the creation of a large decorative panel simulating a tiled wall.
The exhibition will take place during events with dates to be determined.
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Bread in the World ■
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Clay and its role in the world
As well as having a strong presence in the context of aesthetics and health, clay also offers a verbal means of self-expression, an excellent way of stimulating creativity and developing concentration.
The aim of participating in this call is to assemble a collection of Postcard Art on the theme of “Clay and its role in the world” for the purposes deemed appropriate as exhibitions and as contributions to studies, theses and articles without any economic rights on the part of the artists invited to participate.
Poetry Multilingual + Crossing Borders + Universal Values + Personal Feelings
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Open Call for Kindness ■
The curator team will select their favorite works to include in a book. If your work is selected in the book, you will be notified. Proceeds of the book will be donated to Gualala Arts Center.
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Space Byi
We accept Mail Art submissions that explore the relationship between mathematics and artistic experimentation, including but not limited to:
Geometric Abstraction – Postcards featuring mathematical symmetry, tessellations, and fractal-inspired designs.
Algorithmic & Computational Art – Artworks created using mathematical functions, cellular automata, AI, or algorithm-generated patterns.
Number Theory & Cryptographic Elements – Visual representations incorporating prime numbers, Fibonacci sequences, or encryption-based designs.
Experimental and Hybrid Forms – Mixed-media or unconventional mathematical interpretations in Mail Art.
If you are sending your work from a country outside the EU, write on the envelope “no commercial value”. In case of customs duties, I will not accept the envelope. No fee, no refund, no insults. All postcards and mailed artworks that include an explicit and clearly visible mathematical or geometrical element will be accepted. No return and no participation via email. Subtle references will not be accepted—mathematical or geometrical elements must be a dominant and evident part of the composition. All accepted works will be featured online, as part of The Wrong Biennale digital exhibition. After the exhibition, all online content will be archived: ISBN: 978-80-570-6588-3, EAN: 9788057065883
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MY HOME _ LIFE FLOWS ■
The Healthcare Residence not only a place of care but also a place of life.
Living is an expression of adulthood, empowerment, and inclusion.
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Holistic Mail Art Call “Blumen”
Blumen in German means flowers. A tribute to spring, to colours, to floral expansion.
Blumen as a metaphor for inner blossoming, free self-expression, connection with the world around you.
A homage also to the German language and to Germany, the country where I was born.
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Drumming: Identity and resistance
We are a music and arts school in Porto Alegre, Brazil and we are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year! As part of the anniversary celebrations, we are launching this call for proposals with the theme “TAMBOR, identity and resistance”. The drum is not just a musical instrument, but a tool for resistance and social transformation. It strengthens identities, promotes inclusion and awakens consciousness. Its rhythm continues to echo as a call to collectivity and change.
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ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND FUTURE ■
Let’s reflect on climate change! Contribute to our sustainable library’s “artistic bookshelf” by sending an eco-style Mail Art book or a themed postcard.
Only artworks related to the theme and required formats will be displayed, so please make sure to follow the requested formats. The online exhibition follow up will be available on the Martellago Library's.
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CLOUDS ■
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Angels ■
ENIGMATIC CREATURES, MESSENGERS, GUARDIANS. CREATURES THAT LIVE BETWEEN THE VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, CLOSE TO US?
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What a theater! ■
Why this Mail Art-call?
Quite simply because we love and appreciate theater. We encounter theater every day e.g., in everyday situations or in idioms that refer to it like “All the world’s a stage”, “to get the show on the road”, “to wait in the wings”, “to steal the show”, “What a drama!” etc. So we encounter “theater” in our everyday lives, and often it makes us smile.
The city of Schweinfurt is one of the lucky operators of a theater building. It is a guest theater and thus offers many different ensembles the opportunity to present themselves to a theater-loving audience through a wide variety of plays.
There are no limits to the joy of experimentation, which can also be borderline for individual spectators.
Schweinfurt has a long theater tradition, first documented in 1572 with the performance of “Comedy of the Last Judgment”.
The venues have changed frequently over the years.
In 1966, a new theater building opened on Roßbrunnstrasse. It was designed by the architect of Prof. Erich Schellig, with a polygonal ground plan and cubistic superstructures. A large staircase connects the theater building with the Châteaudun Park.
All in all, the building looks different in all sides.
Inside we find a piece of art of Gustl G. Kirchner with a turquoise wall in spatula technique; in the staircase Günther Zirkelbach created a relief with cut plasterboards; Prof. Karl Dahmen dedicated himself to the large 130 square meter wall with a dispersion spatula technique. He was an important representative of Tachism. His work is considered a major work of German Informel. The stage designer Trude Karrer designed the hanging light sculpture in the auditorium.
The indirect lighting in this room is also impressive. Its wal, cover with pyramid bodies shining out of themselves, some of which are gilded, creates a wonderful atmosphere. And so it could go on for a long time to describe our beautiful theater.
Since 1973 there have been puppet play day, in regularly recurring intervals. Uwe Brockmüller regularly exhibited parts of his puppet collection in glass showcases.
Thus, one could get an impression of the variety of different puppet theaters — especially in the Asian region.
Our theater will be completely renovated. For this reason, we started this Mail Art-call. We are curious how and what is perceived as theater and what individuals associate with it.
The submitted postcards will be exhibited as part of a mail art installation.
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[e]mailart
do consider what [e]mailart is and could be. consider what's the difference between merely sending a simple attachment or image as an email body or otherwise sending a real piece of art that uses all the capacity of what embodies the digital world and the ancient email technology and protocols.
can a mere attachment be considered a work of art? or should we explore something that resides in the body of the email and is changeable and unique and unable to subsist in any other medium than that?
alternatively, you may also submit some words, your point of view on the matter, or even an essay regarding the "digital world vs mailart vs [e]mailart vs art".
any questions regarding the open call should not be sent to us by email as they won't be replied to.
thanks for your contribution. all valid [e]mailart will be gathered and presented primarily on its digital form and support and eventually within a catalog.
for more open calls, please head to www.mailart.pt and check all documentation available.