CISTA ARTS invites artists to submit work for What We Carry, an online exhibition taking place in October 2026. We welcome submissions from artists working across all visual art disciplines.

Exhibition Theme:

We carry more than we can see.

Across bodies, objects, places and generations, things accumulate: memories, histories, habits, responsibilities, knowledge, attachments, beliefs and traces of experience.

Some are consciously preserved; others remain without our choosing. Some provide continuity and belonging, while others become burdens we seek to release.

CISTA ARTS invites artists to submit work for What We Carry, an international online group exhibition considering carrying not simply as a physical act, but as a condition of living.

What might a body carry?
What remains embedded within an object or material?
How do places retain histories?
What passes between generations, communities or environments?
And what do we continue to carry even when we attempt to leave it behind?

Artists are invited to approach these questions broadly.

Submissions may engage with personal or collective memory, inheritance, migration, material histories, care, labour, responsibility, cultural transmission, environmental traces, possessions, technology, data, ritual, loss, resilience, or other interpretations of what it means to carry and be carried.

The exhibition is particularly interested in works that reveal how experiences and histories persist: through bodies, materials, images, objects, environments and everyday gestures.

What We Carry welcomes submissions across visual art disciplines, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, installation, ceramics, textiles, printmaking, mixed media, digital art, moving image and interdisciplinary practices.

Rather than seeking a single interpretation of its title, the exhibition asks artists to consider a deceptively simple question:

What do we carry with us, and what does it mean to carry it?

Dates:

Submission Deadline: 13 September 2026
Exhibition Dates: 1- 30 October 2026

Submission Guidelines:

We are keen to learn about you! Please submit the following:

• Contact information (full name, email, mobile)

• Details of the artworks (title, size, medium, year, price)

• Artist statement (max 100 words on how your work relates to the theme)

• Short biography (max 100 words, third-person)

• Up to 4 sample images of your work

Please note: Only two artworks per artist will be selected for exhibition.

Selected Participants Will Receive:

• Exhibition of your work on the CISTA ARTS online platform (1-30 October 2026)

• Inclusion in a limited edition, professionally produced paperback catalogue (UK-based) + complimentary PDF copy

• No commission taken on sales

• Daily social media features in our Meet the Artist series

• Exhibition placement on our homepage + archived access after close

• Direct links to your website or social media in all features

• Certificate of participation

Participation Fee: 

£30 for one accepted artwork | £50 for two accepted artworks

Applying to this exhibition opportunity is free.

Participation Fee Benefits:

Selected artists will have their work exhibited online for the full month on our homepage, included in a professionally produced printed and digital exhibition catalogue, featured in daily social media promotion under our ‘Meet the Artist’ series, and receive a certificate of participation. 

CISTA ARTS takes no commission on sales.

Digital Exposure and Reach:

• We currently have over 12.1K followers on Instagram, in addition to a Facebook audience and a mailing list of over 2K subscribers.
• Our online exhibitions attract between 1,200–1,800 unique visitors, and our website receives more than 4,000 visits per month.

• Each participating artist will be permanently featured on our Past Exhibitions page, with direct links to their own website or social media for continued exposure.

Exhibition Access:

The exhibition is fully accessible to the public via our official website, with no login or fee required.

Exhibition History:

Since our founding in 2018, CISTA ARTS has organised over 50 solo and group exhibitions, both online and in hybrid formats. 

Our platform is designed to support emerging and mid-career artists across borders, particularly those facing visa and mobility restrictions.

Artist Feedback:

We have received consistently positive reviews from artists who have worked with us, with many praising our professionalism, communication, and the quality of our exhibitions. 

These testimonials can be viewed on our Google Reviews page.

About Us:

Based in London, CISTA ARTS is an independent, artist-led curatorial platform dedicated to inclusive programming, cross-cultural dialogue, and supporting underrepresented voices in contemporary visual art.