The Archive of Small Things is a group exhibition bringing together small-scale artworks, objects and fragments that offer glimpses into the world we inhabit. Taking place near the British Museum, the exhibition considers how objects become significant, how materials hold memories, and how the things we make, use and keep might one day tell a story about us.

We invite artists to contribute to a collection of contemporary artefacts, works that might be encountered as fragments of a lost world, records of everyday life, personal relics or objects yet to be understood.

The works need not resemble historical artefacts. We are interested in the unexpected, the familiar, the imagined and the overlooked; in objects that carry a story beyond themselves, and in works that invite us to look a little closer.

We welcome submissions across a range of disciplines, including:

• Painting
• Sculpture and three-dimensional work
• Ceramics
• Drawing and works on paper
• Photography
• Textiles and fibre-based work
• Collage and mixed media
• Found objects
   

We are particularly interested in work that engages with memory, materiality, personal histories, everyday life, collecting and the relationship between objects and the meanings we assign to them.

There is no prescribed aesthetic or medium. Works may be personal, abstract, domestic, experimental or entirely imagined.

Scale:

We are primarily looking for small-scale works, with a preferred maximum size of 25 × 25 × 25 cm. Works outside these dimensions may be considered where scale is integral to the work and can be accommodated within the exhibition.

Who Can Apply:

This open call is open to all students, recent graduates and emerging artists.

Location: 

15, Bury Place

Fitzrovia, WC1A 2JB

(2 minute walk from the British Museum)

Exhibition Dates and Timings: 

• Install: 23rd October works must be delivered between 10:30am - 13:30pm
• PV: 23rd October 5:30pm - 7:30pm
• Exhibition open: 24th October 12:30pm - 6pm, 25th October 12:30pm - 5pm
• Takedown: 25th October 5pm - 6:30pm 
   

Submission Requirements:

• High-quality images or videos of your work
• Artwork Description (max 100 words)
• Artwork dimensions, medium and technical requirements (preferred maximum size: 25 × 25 × 25 cm)
• Contact information

Submission Deadline:

14th October 23:59pm

Late submissions will not be considered. Selected artists will be notified by end of day 15/10/2026

What’s Included:

• Technical assistance with installation / deinstallation in the gallery
• Social event and networking
• Digital Letter of participation
• Documentation of work in the gallery space
• Promotional material to share with your networks
• Social media coverage via instagram (1287 followers and counting) 
   

Fees (Only If Selected):

£55

The participation fee contributes towards the exhibition costs and includes all of the above.

Fees will be payable by 18th October

Additional Information:

• Artists are responsible for transport and insurance of their work
• Artworks will not be for sale by default, however artists can provide a QR code to a platform of choice  where they can individually sell work if they wish.
• Installation and deinstallation schedules will be communicated upon selection
• By submitting, artists grant the permission to use images of their work for promotional purposes

About us:

We are Elephant Vision lab, a London-based artist duo collaboration, working across installation, sound, moving image, sculpture, and spatial design.

Bringing together backgrounds in sculpture, stage design, audiovisual practice, and narrative environments, their work explores how material, sound, and atmosphere shape bodily perception and spatial experience.

We have actively work in the exhibition sector between art universities providing curatorial and exhibition support for student exhibitions in London along with museums and galleries across the UK and Europe.

We look forward to seeing your work!

XinYue & Alex - Elephant Vision Lab