Curatorial Open Call

Curatorial Open Call – Fall Programme 2026–2027

Institution: Mussawir Contemporary
Deadline: March 15, 2026
Location: United Arab Emirates (priority to UAE-based applicants)

Mussawir Contemporary invites emerging, mid-, and early-career curators to submit research-driven exhibition proposals for its Fall 2026–2027 programme. The open call positions exhibitions as sites of experimentation, dialogue, and knowledge production, with a strong emphasis on curatorial thinking as research practice.

Three selected proposals will be developed into full exhibitions presented during November and December 2026, and January 2027.

Programme Format

Each selected curator will receive:

• Logistical support

• Travel and accommodation support (if applicable)

• Exhibition space and production support

• Curatorial mentoring and research dialogue

• Modest project budget and honorarium (if applicable)

• Documentation and publication opportunities

• Public programming support

Eligibility Criteria

The call is open to:

• Emerging, mid-, and early-career curators, artists, designers, researchers (individuals or collectives), and PhD candidates

• Practitioners from South Asia, Africa, and the MENA region

• Priority given to UAE-based applicants

• No formal curatorial training required

Applicants working across diverse geographies, disciplines, and lived experiences are encouraged to apply.

Key Curatorial Focus

Proposals should demonstrate:

• A clearly articulated research question or conceptual framework

• Engagement with theoretical, historical, material, or social contexts

• A strong curatorial methodology

• Critical awareness of site, audience, ethics, and positionality

• Openness to experimentation across formats (exhibition, performance, archive, publication, workshop, etc.)

Projects may be speculative, artist-led, archive-based, community-rooted, institutionally critical, interdisciplinary, or transnational.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit a single PDF including:

1. Project Proposal (350–500 words)

   • Research question / conceptual framework

   • Contextual grounding

   • Curatorial methodology

   • Proposed artists, materials, or archives (if applicable)

   • Intended audience engagement

   • Statement on why the project matters now

2. Timeline and Feasibility Statement (300–350 words)

   • Research phase

   • Production phase

   • Installation and public programming

3. CV or Short Bio (max. 2 pages)

4. Optional Supporting Material

   • Writing samples, previous projects, or research documentation

Submission:

Email: info@mussawircontemporary.com
Subject line: Curatorial Open Call – Fall Programme 2026–2027

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be assessed based on:

• Critical rigor and originality

• Strength and clarity of research grounding

• Feasibility within the gallery context and timeline

• Sensitivity to ethics, politics, and situated knowledge

• Capacity to engage audiences beyond representation

Timeline

• Open Call Launch: February 15, 2026

• Submission Deadline: March 15, 2026

• Selections Announced: June–July 2026

• Research & Development: August–September 2026

• Exhibitions: November 2026 – January 2027 (three individual projects)