Return 02 is an international open call presented by Molend Art (UK) and KONspace 101(Japan). Building on the first edition of the project, Return 02 explores how individual experiences connect with broader cultural contexts through memory, language and everyday life. Selected works will be exhibited simultaneously in Glasgow and Tokyo, creating a dialogue across two cultural spaces. We welcome artists working in all media to submit work responding to this year's curatorial theme.

Return 02 – International Open Call

Return is an ongoing curatorial project exploring the relationship between individual experience and the wider cultural environment.

Following Return 01, which focused on bodily perception, emotion and everyday existence, Return 02 expands its perspective to consider how memory, language and everyday life shape the ways we understand ourselves and the world around us.

What does it mean to return—not simply to a place, but to a memory, a language, a relationship or a version of ourselves that continues to change over time?

Our experiences are shaped by the places we inhabit, the people we encounter and the cultures we move between. Memory is never fixed; it evolves through time, distance and changing perspectives.

Return 02 invites artists to reflect on these shifting relationships and to consider how personal experience connects with broader social and cultural narratives.

The exhibition welcomes works exploring themes such as memory, identity, belonging, migration, language, family history, everyday rituals, personal archives, emotional landscapes, cultural exchange and contemporary life.

Rather than proposing a single interpretation, Return 02 encourages diverse artistic responses and conversations across different cultural contexts.

Presented simultaneously in Glasgow (United Kingdom) and Tokyo (Japan), Return 02 creates an opportunity for artists to exhibit across two international venues while fostering dialogue between audiences in Europe and Asia.

The exhibition will take place from 28–30 September 2026. There is no application fee to submit. A participation fee of £150 is payable only if an artist is selected and confirms participation. The exhibition is expected to welcome more than 300 visitors across both venues.

Who Can Apply

Applications are welcomed from artists of all nationalities and career stages working in any medium, including but not limited to:

• Painting
• Installation
• Sculpture
• Photography
• Moving Image
• Digital Art
• Sound Art
• Mixed Media
• Textile
• Printmaking
• Performance
• Experimental Practice
• Interdisciplinary and cross-media practices are also encouraged.

 
Artist Benefits

Selected artists will receive:

• Exhibition in Glasgow (United Kingdom) and Tokyo (Japan) as part of the Return 02 programme.
• Flexible presentation options adapted to the nature of each artwork, including physical or digital presentation where appropriate.
• Publication opportunities in ZAO Magazine (United Kingdom, ISSN registered) and TIE (Japan), subject to editorial selection.
• Promotion through the official websites and Instagram accounts of Molend Art and KONspace 101, together with additional promotion through the organisers' publishing activities, partner organisations and professional contemporary art networks.
• Two official exhibition certificates issued separately by Molend Art (United Kingdom) and KONspace 101 (Japan).
   

Audience & Promotion

Return 02 will be promoted through the official websites and Instagram accounts of Molend Art and KONspace 101, together with partner organisations, publication partners and selected contemporary art networks.

The organisers' Instagram accounts currently have a combined following of approximately 700 followers. In addition to Instagram, the exhibition will also be promoted through the organisers' official websites, partner organisations, publication partners and project-specific communication channels where appropriate.

Subject to editorial selection, selected artists may also receive publication opportunities through ZAO Magazine (United Kingdom) and TIE (Japan), with an estimated combined readership of approximately 1,500–3,000 readers.

The exhibition is expected to attract more than 300 visitors across the Glasgow and Tokyo venues during the exhibition period.

Promotion includes:

• Official websites
• Official Instagram accounts
• Organisers' publishing activities
• Partner organisations
• Contemporary art networks
• Selected arts media and exhibition listings
• Depending on the project and editorial selection, participating artists may also receive additional exposure through partner publications, including ZAO Magazine (United Kingdom) and TIE (Japan).

The combined estimated readership of these publications is approximately 1,500–3,000 readers per issue or feature.

The exhibition is expected to attract more than 300 visitors across the Glasgow and Tokyo venues during the exhibition period.

About the Organisers

Molend Art

Molend Art is an international contemporary art organisation based in Scotland. Through exhibitions, publishing, artist interviews, research and cross-cultural collaborations, Molend Art supports artists at different stages of their practice while encouraging dialogue between contemporary art communities internationally.

KONspace 101

KONspace 101 is an independent contemporary art space based in Tokyo. The organisation presents exhibitions, supports international cultural exchange and collaborates with artists and curators across a wide range of contemporary artistic practices.

Participation Fee

There is no application fee to submit.

Artists selected for the exhibition will be required to pay a £150 participation fee after accepting the invitation to participate.

The participation fee includes:

• Exhibition in Glasgow and Tokyo
• Exhibition production and installation
• Curatorial support
• Publication opportunities in ZAO Magazine and TIE (subject to editorial selection)
• Promotion through the organisers' official communication channels
• Exhibition documentation
• Two official exhibition certificates
• International project coordination
• The participation fee contributes towards venue hire, exhibition production, installation, administration, documentation, marketing, promotion and project coordination required to deliver a two-country exhibition programme.

 
Sales

Return 02 is a non-commercial exhibition.

Works are presented for exhibition purposes only and will not be offered for sale during the exhibition.

As no sales take place within the exhibition, no gallery commission or sales commission applies.

About Return 02

Return 02 offers artists the opportunity to exhibit simultaneously in the United Kingdom and Japan while engaging with audiences across two different cultural contexts.

Through exhibitions, publications and international collaboration, the project seeks to encourage dialogue between artists from diverse backgrounds and to explore how memory, language and lived experience continue to shape our understanding of identity, culture and contemporary life.