The National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), in response to its role as the preeminent public institution supporting contemporary art and the community of those who work in it, is issuing an open call for the curatorship of a group exhibition that will be included in its temporary exhibition program in the autumn of 2023. Proposals will be evaluated by the EMST’s art direction and curatorial team, and whichever one is selected will be implemented in the fall of 2023 in a space at the Museum. The deadline for submission is 3 July 2023. The call is part of the EMST’s policy of expanded collaborations and best practices.

The objectives of the project are

• To strengthen curatorial research in Greece.
• To contribute to the professional training of emerging curators through the Museum’s expertise and infrastructure.
• To promote the establishment of the curatorial profession and, in general, to support those working in the field of contemporary art.
• The multi-disciplinary approach to the Museum’s exhibition programming.

Outline of the invitation

This open call is for proposals for the organization and curation of a group exhibition at the EMST in the autumn of 2023.

The call is addressed to curators and curatorial teams with supervision in the field of Greek contemporary art. Applicants should not have a dependent employment relationship with another public or private institution.

The production of the selected exhibition will be funded by the EMST in the amount of 31.000 euros + VAT including the curatorial fee of 4.000 euros + VAT. If the proposal is submitted by a curatorial team, this fee will apply to the team as a whole. The artists’ fee is considered necessary and amounts to €500 + VAT per artist or artistic team (for an existing work).

The amount of €31,000 may include travel and accommodation costs, transport, insurance cover for the works in the exhibition, the cost of a crew of art installers, the hire of audiovisual equipment, etc. The budgeting of artists’ fees is compulsory. The other categories of costs are indicative and depend on the design and needs of the proposed exhibition.

In line with EMST best practice, the Museum will provide technical and full communication support for the exhibition.

The exhibition will be held in the first room on the fourth floor of the Museum. Interested parties can find a floor plan of the room and photos at the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/whgb90x7tj04w8w/AACy3kFXgXznoJstlWxnzZgQa?dl=0

The main selection criterion is the quality and originality of the editorial approach, as well as its excellent presentation.

In addition, the following will be taken into account:

• Creative conversation with the Museum’s Mission Statement (https://www.emst.gr/to-emst/mission)
• The inclusion of works from the EMST collection: https://collection.emst.gr/
• The use of documents from the EMST archive: https://www.emst.gr/research/kallitechniko-archeio
• The development of an educational and/or public program.
• The organic involvement of more people working in the field of culture (e.g. writers, documentary photographers, graphic designers, etc.)

The proposal should include:

• A detailed and documented rationale that is no more than 500-750 words.
• A complete list of projects with a detailed description of each project and brief documentation of the inclusion of each project in the proposal, not exceeding 150 words for each project.
• Photographs of the projects.
• The open call does not encourage the production of new projects. However, it is at the Museum’s discretion to approve the production of new works if it deems them to be an integral and organic part of the curatorial proposal.
• A detailed budget for the exhibition according to the following template: EMST_curatorial_open_call_budget_template.xlsx
• Full exhibition development and a plan for the placement of the works in the exhibition space using digital or analog methods of representation.
• Curator’s CV and professional portfolio.
• Biographies of the artists in the exhibition, up to 100 words. Indicate the artist’s website if available

Terms and conditions of participation

• Applicants should have curated at least two group exhibitions in a venue that has a systematic exhibition or research activity including commercial spaces or in a self-managed art space.
• Applicants must not have a dependent employment relationship with another public or private institution.
• The ability to issue legal documents or provide the necessary supporting documents for the issuance of title deeds.
• The accounting management of the budget expenditure will be carried out by the EMST.
• The curatorial proposal must be submitted by Monday 3 July 2023 by 10.00 a.m. The proposal will be submitted as a PDF file via email to [email protected].
• Project Officer: Anna Mykoniati, +30 211 1019036 (Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 16.00).