Opportunity details | Open-Call: 3 suclptors, 1 unique concept

Open-Call: 3 suclptors, 1 unique concept

Deadline: 27/09/2026

City: London | Region: London | Country: United Kingdom | Berenice Berlan

Paid opportunity

Open Call for Three Sculptors: An open studio-style exhibition, ending in a Birthday Party

In partnership with The Archive of Destruction, MA Culture, Criticism, and Curation, Central Saint Martins.

If you make work you would rather nobody touched, this isn't for you. Read no further.

If the idea of someone else altering, wearing down or ending your finished piece sounds more interesting than upsetting, keep reading.

We are looking for three artists working in sculpture to take part in a live, collaborative exhibition built around a single premise; you will not be the only person who touched your work.

Who we’re looking for:

3 emerging sculptors, any material, any scale within reason, any relationship to destruction.

We’re less interested in polished and more interested in artists who are genuinely curious about what it would feel like to lose control of a finished object, and to take control of someone else’s.

How it begins:

Bring us your interpretation of destruction in whatever material, scale, or form you work in.

The work can be old, it can be brand new, that is up to you.

This is the only brief for the object itself.

What happens next

The three selected artists will take over a venue as their studio across the 3 days.

The public will be allowed in, emulating an open artist studio.

During that time, the artists will interact with, alter, and progressively destroy each other's pieces.

Nobody else touches the work. The audience watches; they do not intervene. The show opens with all three works intact. It does not stay that way.

By the time we reach the closing night Birthday Party, what remains will be the objects of destruction.

You will be asked to destroy something you did not make. You will be asked to let go of something you did.

This is not vandalism, and it's not a stunt. It is a live study of what we are calling collaborative destruction.

And you will be taking part in a live study of detachment and consent in experimentation with the emotional weight of watching your own objects change in another’s hands, in real time, in public.

What we are asking of you:

A willingness to be destroyed, not hypothetically. Your finished piece will be subject to alteration and possible complete destruction by the other two artists over the course of the show.
A willingness to destroy. You will also be asked to act on the other artists' work. This is not optional or symbolic; it is the central mechanic of this exhibition.
Full editorial control over your documentation. You will decide what you photograph, film, or record, if anything. Nobody is compiling an official record over your shoulder. We are, in part, asking what an archive looks like when the people inside it choose what survives. Whatever you want included in the Birthday Party’s display, it will be. You direct us, we execute.
OPTIONAL: A journal kept across the process. Not for publication, a private account of what this actually felt like, day to day. As your relationship to the objects (yours and theirs) shifts. This is where the emotional materials of the piece live; you may choose to display parts of it in the exhibition, or not; that is up to you.

What are you agreeing to, in plain terms:

Two things, before anything begins:

You agree to the terms of destruction and transformation for your own piece. This isn't a loophole out of premise; it's what makes your consent real rather than assumed.
You agree to trust the other two artists within that scope. Once the show is live, what happens is not scripted, and we will not step in to protect any individual's work.

Where:

To be determined...

Key dates:

Open call closes: September 27th, 2026
Artists confirmed: October 4th, 2026
Exhibition opens: November 12th, 2026
Live Run- Interaction, alteration, destruction: November 12-14th, 2026
Closing night ‘Birthday Parties’: November 14th, 2026

*Exhibition dates are subject to change and will be confirmed soon

Remuneration:

Each artist is to expect a remuneration of £162.48 - £264

Remuneration does not cover material costs and travel expenses. The remuneration offered is fixed and does not vary based on whether the submitted work is pre-existing or newly commissioned/created for this opportunity. Rates of pay are based on UK artist wage standards as written on the Artists’ Union England website, calculated by 2hrs x 3 days.

Please make sure you read the FAQs for futher information.

Make a submission Contact the curator

Who is eligible for this opportunity?

Up-and-coming, emerging sculptors, from anywhere in the UK. We do not cover accommodation or travel if you are coming from far away, so keep that in mind when applying.
We are looking for people who are open to experimentation. The work can be made from any material and can be of any scale within reason. More important than a finished aesthetic is a willingness to question authorship, control, and what happens when a sculpture is no longer fixed.

When is the deadline?

The deadline is at 11:59PM on 27/09/2026.

Does my work have to be about destruction?

Yes. However, your current practice doesn't need to center on destruction or participation.

Do I need experience with participatory art?

Not at all. Curiosity is more important than experience.

Can I submit existing work?

Existing works are welcome if you're genuinely open to them changing during the exhibition.

What materials are accepted?

Any material is welcome, provided it can be safely exhibited and interacted with. If you are unsure about a particular material, get in touch.

How large can the work be?

Any scale within reason. We'll work with selected artists to ensure the work fits the space safely and practically.

Will visitors be allowed to alter my sculpture?

No. Interactions, alterations, and destruction will only be limited to artists, but the work is expected to change throughout the open studio exhibition.

What if I'm uncomfortable losing control of my work?

That's a completely valid concern–and part of what this project is exploring. We're not looking for artists who are fearless; we're looking for artists who are interested in that uncertainty.

Will the exhibition be documented?

Public photography and recording are prohibited until the Birthday Party. The project is interested in experiences that resist complete documentation, although artists may choose to develop their own forms of documentation with the help of curators. Throughout the open studio: artists direct, curators enable.

What does "emerging" mean?

We don't define it by age or years since graduation. If you're still developing your practice and this project resonates with you, we'd love to hear from you.

What if I don't usually call myself a sculptor?

If your practice engages with three-dimensional form, material, or objects–even if it crosses into installation or performance–you are welcome to apply.

What happens if my proposal is chosen?

If your proposal is chosen:

You'll be confirmed by October 4th, 2026, with full details on delivery, install, and the exhibition/Live Run schedule to follow. You'll be asked to confirm your agreement to the terms of the open call — including that your work may be interacted with, altered, or destroyed by others as part of the project.

Documentation is entirely yours. You have full editorial control over what's photographed, filmed, or recorded (if anything). Nobody is compiling an official record over your shoulder; part of what we're asking is what an archive looks like when the people inside it choose what survives. Whatever you want included in the Birthday Party's display, it will be. You direct, we execute.

Optional: a process journal. Not for publication, a private, day-to-day account of what this actually feels like as your relationship to the objects (yours and theirs) shifts. This is where the emotional material of the piece lives. You can choose to display parts of it at the exhibition, or keep it entirely to yourself.

Payment will be arranged as outlined under Remuneration.

What are the selection criteria?

Our selection criteria include, but are not limited to:
- Sensitivity to the project brief. We’re looking for curiosity, not certainty.
- Openness to risk. Are you willing to let the work be handled, altered, or undone by someone else?
- Willingness to relinquish control. We're looking for artists who can hand a finished piece over knowing its final form isn't theirs to decide.
- Distinctiveness. Does the piece bring a perspective or material approach we haven't already selected for?
- Cohesion with other works selected: we are interested in clashing materials and methods.

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