Zozobra is a Spanish word for distress. This call is for artists to step up and fulfill their duty as harbingers of truth and guardians of cultural history against the growing threats of totalitarianism and environmental destruction.

Zozobra: A Call for Art

Suture Zone invites artists from across the world to submit to this online exhibition and corresponding publication reacting to the political and social times we live in.

Join a movement of socially conscious artists reacting to and documenting the global push toward authoritarianism, dictatorships and fascism and the effect it has on individuals, groups, societies and all life on earth. 

Suture Zone requests a small submission fee to help grow and develop Suture Zone as a hub of resistance, containing socially conscious art and a voice for marginalized artists.

• Eligibility: This opportunity is open to artists worldwide over the age of 18.
• Deadline to submit: Nov. 30, 2025 midnight.
• Artists receive promotion through the Suture Zone website and an annual printed publication. Selected artists also receive a personal profile page on the website.
• You may submit up to 2 pieces per submission, along with artist info.
• The submission fee is $35 CAD and is non-refundable. The entry fee contributes to the on-going web service fees, our team to maintain it and promotion of the site and exhibitions. Payment link: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/9TVJ52KCDSKUG
• Suture Zone looks for originality, mastery of medium, strong overall design and composition, creative and clear interpretation of theme and a solid, arresting impression and intention in each artwork.

Zozobra is a Spanish word for distress. 

The Mexican philosopher Emilio Uranga has used the term to describe a specific form of existential anxiety related to uncertainty and ambiguity, following its usage by the poet Ramón López Velarde. 



The term has been used to describe the feelings of uncertainty and distress in the United States due to the ongoing confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the political events of the Trump presidency and 2020 U.S. presidential election (and now include Trump's re-election in 2024). 



These feelings and reactions persist today across the world, where the level of anxiety is growing, as western leaders are increasingly undermining democracy and the rule of law with a global shift toward fascism. The prospect of another world war is palpable.



This call is for artists to step up and fulfill their duty as harbingers of truth and guardians of cultural history.

Whether from a Dada/Surrealist, punk, eco-activist or techno-nihilist perspective, Zozobra and "art as a weapon" drives a voice of energy and anger, stinging the eyes of illusion and self-deception. 


About Suture Zone

Suture Zone online gallery and publication, has been created to establish an archive of socially and politically motivated art alongside annual printed anthology, aimed at representation of the challenging era we inhabit.

Our first inaugural project is the initial display of contemporary reactionary art to the times we live in and the growing threats of totalitarianism and environmental destruction.

Under this broad general theme, Suture Zone will call for art, three times a year and display these online with accompanying text and information. 



The second part of the project is to generate a yearly printed catalogue of some of the most impactful pieces to represent that year.