Submission guidelines
Eligibility
This call is open to all artists residing in one of the eligible countries, aged 18 or over. Applicants may be professional artists, as well as talented amateurs. Both individual and collective works are welcome.
Eligible countries:
- EU Member States;
- Non-EU Countries: Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Kosovo; Serbia; Ukraine
We welcome submissions of artworks with visual representation. This includes:
- Painting
- Photography
- Poster
- Video
All artworks must be original and created by the submitting artist. We accept multiple (up to 5) submissions by each participant.
Conceptual Basis
Artists shall create artworks based on the history and memory of the conflict in the Former Yugoslavia. One possible source of inspiration is the anonymized quotes from the “Voice of the Victims” International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) program and victim and witness accounts from ICTY judgements.
Example quotes:
- “ I was beaten, I fell down, but I got up too, because those who fell down, they never got up again. ”
- “ … The people around us were very arrogant, they were celebrating (…) One of them was so brazen as to lick a knife, (…) that is terrible, that is something I never thought would happen. At least I did not expect it from people I grew up with … ”
- “ It took some persuasion to convince my (…) neighbour with whom I had lived my whole life that I was suddenly his enemy and that I was to be killed. ”
- “ … I would forgive them, perhaps, if my husband had taken up arms … but to kill the wounded that cannot defend themselves, who have no arms, is terrible. ”
- “ If I had the right and the courage, in the name of all those innocents and all those victims, I would forgive the actual perpetrators of the executions, because they were misled. ”
- “ Who is not guilty should be freed, and who is guilty must suffer the consequences of what he [has] done. ”
The transformative power of Art
As an artist, your artwork has the unique ability to communicate complex emotions, histories, and ideas that transcend language. Your artwork can give a voice to the stories of victims and witnesses, ensuring their stories are not forgotten and continue to resonate with people around Europe.
By participating in the “Remembering Through Art” exhibition, you contribute to a powerful dialogue that honours and remembers the profound experiences of those affected by the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, inspiring conversations, provoking thought, and driving societal change towards understanding and reconciliation.
The art exhibition offers a unique opportunity to reach a broad and diverse audience to engage with your work. This global reach not only amplifies the impact of your message, but also places your art within an international context, where it can be appreciated by viewers from different background and perspectives.
Submission process
Artwork applications must be submitted by 23:59 CET, 25th February 2025.
Artists are required to complete the application form, as well as the consent form. There is no submission fee. By entering the contest, participants accept the competition rules as outlined in this call.
Artists must upload their artwork in the form of a photo or a video.
- Images must be submitted in PNG/JPEG format, preferably in 1:1, and have a maximum file size of 10MB.
- Videos must be up to 5 minutes long, must be submitted in MP4, preferably in 16:9, with a resolution of 720p, and have a maximum file size of 200MB.
Each submission must include the following details:
- Title
- Medium
- Year of Creation
- Dimensions
- Year of creation
- Description
- Artist statement (300-400 words) detailing the vision, inspiration and conceptual underpinnings of the work
- Artist’s biography (200 words)
Artists should refrain from submitting offensive or inappropriate content. The consortium reserves the right to reject submissions on these principles. Images with copyright watermarks and text will be rejected.
Copyright rules
By entering the competition, participants retain full copyright of their artworks. However, participants grant Consortium of the NO-OBLIVION project the right to publish and exhibit the submitted artworks through offline and online means, and no fee will be payable for this use. Once submitted, the participant provides Consortium of the NO-OBLIVION project the right to use the artworks on educational and other promotional materials with appropriate credits to the creator.
Participants who submit photos or videos must obtain written consent from any individuals who are identifiable in their work. It is the participants’ responsibility to ensure that the necessary consent has been obtained. Participants must retain all consent forms obtained as they may be asked to prove that consent has been given.
Selection of artists
Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of three judges composed by two members of the Consortium of the NO-OBLIVION project and one expert to ensure they comply with eligibility criteria and align with the theme of the exhibition.
All artists that fulfil the above-mentioned criteria will be notified via email by the end of February- and their art work will be featured in the online exhibition.
Additionally, during the review process, the Consortium will carefully select the four submissions that best align with the project’s objectives and resonate most strongly with the thematic focus of this call.
Prizes
To recognize and support exceptional submissions, prizes are planned for the best four selected art pieces.
The first and second prize winners will be invited to participate in the Reviving Balkan Arts Festival this April in Croatia, with full coverage of travel, accommodation, and a subsistence allowance. This unique opportunity will allow artist to engage with an international audience and connect with participants from across Europe.
Additionally, the third and fourth prize winners will each receive €100 as an acknowledgment of their artistic contributions.
The Exhibition Experience
Artwork will be showcased in a cutting-edge virtual gallery that provides an immersive experience for visitors, designed to captivate and inspire a global audience. This digital space allows for high-resolution displays of the artworks, accompanied by detailed information about your artists’ process and the inspirations behind their artwork. Visitors can navigate the gallery at their own pace, providing a flexible and accessible way for people to engage with the art. The online exhibition will reach approximately 300 people from all over the European continent, and will be disseminated on social media by our partners in various countries, to engage a wider public.
The art exhibition will be officially launched with an online event, featuring live presentations from participating artists. This event will offer a platform for artists to discuss their work in depth, share their creative process, and interact directly with an audience which will gather the artists for an in-depth look into the inspirations for their work, their process and emotions, and messages they intend to convey with their artworks.
We invite you to join us in this unique opportunity to contribute to a meaningful artistic dialogue on memory and justice.
Submit your works and become part of an exhibition that aims to create a lasting impact through the transformative power of art.