Note: This call has been translated from German.
Call for Exhibition Proposals for the Austrian Contribution to the 62nd International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia 2028
Application deadline: August 21, 2026
The Venice Biennale, as one of the world’s most important art and architecture exhibitions, is more than a periodically occurring cultural showcase of different nations. For decades, it has made a decisive contribution to current discourse and cultural development. Since 1895, artists from around the world have presented their works in the national pavilions of the Venice Biennale. In 1980, the Biennale was expanded to include the International Architecture Exhibition. The Austrian contribution will be shown in the Austrian Pavilion in the “Giardini della Biennale” in Venice, which will be open for the entire duration of the Biennale, expectedly from April/May to November. The exact dates and the overarching theme will be announced by the Biennale organizers approximately one year before the opening. The Austrian Pavilion was built in 1934. It is a protected historical monument under Italian law and is managed by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media and Sport, Section for Art and Culture.
Through this competition, the Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media and Sport is seeking a curatorial concept for the realization of the Austrian contribution in the Austrian Pavilion for the 62nd International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2028, and invites individuals from the art and cultural sector, particularly curators, to participate in this project competition. We are looking for highly qualified experts who, based on their international experience, are capable of presenting Austria with an outstanding concept at one of the most important international platforms for contemporary art.
Due to the timeframe, the Austrian contribution will be selected independently of the yet-to-be-announced overarching theme of the Venice Biennale 2028. After selection, the chosen project should, if possible, relate to the guiding idea of the Biennale 2028.
The submitted projects should present an exhibition concept on a topic relevant to contemporary international and Austrian art discourse. The curator will receive a fee totaling EUR 30,000.00 (including all taxes and duties).
Participation Conditions
Client
Republic of Austria – Federal Government, represented by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media and Sport (BMWKMS).
Subject and Type of Competition
Concept and realization for the implementation of the Austrian contribution for the 62nd International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2028 in the Austrian Pavilion in Venice.
For the entire realization, the Federal Government provides a total budget of a maximum of EUR 600,000.00 including any taxes and duties. This amount includes the curator’s fee of EUR 30,000.00 and the costs for the organizational office commissioned by the Federal Government, amounting to approx. EUR 129,000.00.
If further financial resources are necessary for the realization of the concept, these must be procured by the curator through sponsors and any financial participation by federal states and municipalities. The overall responsibility for the realization of the Austrian contribution lies with the curator.
To support the overall organizational handling of the Austrian contribution to the Venice Biennale 2028, the curator will be provided with an organizational office commissioned by the Federal Government. The organizational handling must therefore be carried out in close coordination with this organizational office based on the curatorial concept.
The organizational office also takes over budget management and, in particular, must support the curator in the production and realization of the exhibition, the publication of a catalog, the holding of press conferences and the opening festivities, etc., which must be covered by the aforementioned total budget. Likewise, the fee for a press team and any other contractors is included in the total budget of EUR 600,000.00. The contract with the selected curator is awarded by means of a service agreement (work contract) with the Federal Government.
Sustainability Concept
Art and culture can make a significant contribution to environmental protection. Better climate protection and increased resource conservation should therefore be appropriately considered in the planning and realization of the Austrian contribution in the Austrian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Ecologically sustainable measures can include, for example, the areas of communication, mobility, accommodation and catering, as well as energy, technology and exhibition architecture, but also waste and recycling, and particularly the ecological subsequent use and recycling of materials installed in the pavilion.
Participation
Eligible to participate are individuals who are either Austrian citizens or have their permanent residence in Austria, who work as curators or in an art-related field, and who are intimately familiar with and connected to the Austrian art scene. By participating, applicants accept the procedure and conditions of this competition.
Award Procedure
All submitted projects will be presented to a five-member expert jury of national and international experts for evaluation in a three-stage selection process. In the first round, a longlist is created. The selected applicants will be invited in the second round to personally present their further developed concept to the jury together with their team.
The selected applicants on the longlist will receive an expense allowance of EUR 2,500.00 for the preparation and further elaboration of their concept. From the concepts presented in the second round, three projects will be selected for a shortlist.
In a further jury meeting, a winning project, and thus the curator, will be nominated together with the responsible Federal Minister.
The award is made by means of a direct award according to § 46 BVergG 2018 (Austrian Federal Procurement Act). All submitted concepts will be treated confidentially and are protected by copyright.
For more details about the selection criteria and application process, visit the link below.
Image credits: Pavillon innen © Georg Petermichl via BMWKMS website
