Open Call for Cultural Practitioners

SIGNIFICATO – Institution: Fondazione Studio Rizoma, Palermo, Italy

For the first time, Fondazione Studio Rizoma launches an open call for proposals from local partners in Palermo and international collaborators from across the Mediterranean to actively contribute to the next edition of BETWEEN LAND AND SEA 2025. Scheduled for November 2025 in Palermo, the Festival will create a public space for learning, debate, and creative inquiry on the evolving meanings and signifiers that shape our lives and practices. This edition, themed SIGNIFICATO, invites proposals that critically engage with the dynamic relationships between land and sea, drawing inspiration from philosophical ideas by Deleuze and Guattari and the transformative perspectives of thinkers like Rosie Braidotti and Myriam Bahaffou.

Theme & Focus:

• SIGNIFICATO: Explore the historical and etymological meanings of words and concepts, and examine the dual roots of “sea” (from Sanskrit and Greek/Latin) and the Indo-European meaning of “land.”
• Emphasis on the interstitial space “in between” as a site of interaction, transformation, and renegotiation of meaning in contexts of ecological, decolonial, and political discourse.

What is Invited:

• Proposals from cultural practitioners across arts, sciences, and architecture.
• Formats may include ephemeral installations, performances, participatory sessions, workshops, and showcases.
• Proposals should reflect on key topics such as ecofeminism, decolonisation, future of jobs, technology, migration, gender theory, and climate justice.

Participation Requirements:

• Must be interested in developing alternative, ecological, and decolonial practices with a cultural or artistic approach.
• Availability to work during September and October 2025, with participation in online preparatory sessions (including a kick-off meeting between April and June 2025).
• Proven track record in art or cultural practice addressing the programme’s key topics.

Application Requirements:

• Submit a single PDF titled: name (collective/individual/organism)_title.pdf
• Include:
  • Project Title and Abstract (500 words)
  • Biography of the collective/individual/organism (200 words)
  • 5 reference images of current or previous work/research
  • Budget (with an existing funding strategy or budget outline)
• Deadline: 17 March 2025, 9.00 A.M. CET
• Submission Email: info@studiorizoma.org with the subject “OPEN CALL BLAS 2025”

Selection Process:

• Proposals will be assessed by the curatorial team: Marta Cillero Manzano, MariaTeresa Daniele, Yolenn Farges, Giorgio Mega, Izabela Moren, and Patrizia Pozzo.
• Selected proposals will be notified shortly after the deadline.
• Limited co-funding support is available.