Short Description
The Estonian Centre for Architecture is pleased to announce the launch of the international curatorial competition for the 8th edition of the Tallinn Architecture Biennale (TAB), set to take place in September 2026. We invite visionary architects, curators, designers, and thinkers from Estonia and abroad to submit their concept proposals for TAB 2026. The selected curatorial team will lead the development of the biennale’s core programme – comprising an exhibition, catalogue, symposium, and more – framing architecture within urgent contemporary contexts and the Estonian cultural landscape.
The Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2026 will take place between September and November 2026, comprising two key components:
Core Programme
Conceptualised and realised by the appointed curatorial team by September 2026, the core programme includes:
➔ Curatorial Exhibition
➔ TAB Catalogue
➔ TAB Symposium
➔ Tallinn Vision Competition
Supplementary Programme
Subject to funding and further agreement, this may include:
➔ Outdoor Installation Competition — featuring a temporary installation, potentially located in front of the Estonian Museum of Architecture.
➔ One-week Visiting Lecture-Workshop — Hosted by the curatorial team at the Estonian Academy of Arts, this event will be directly linked to the curatorial concept and thematic framework of TAB 2026.
Curatorial Competition Objectives
➔ A compelling thematic framework
— One that responds to the urgencies of our time, reflects the local context of Estonia, and remains open
to broader international perspectives.
➔ A curatorial team
— Capable of articulating and enacting this vision across multiple formats and media, including
exhibition-making, writing, public programming, architectural theory, as wel as architectural discourse.
Eligibility
The TAB 2026 Curatorial Competition is open to the public and welcomes proposals from Estonia and abroad. Architects, interior architects, landscape architects, urban architects, designers, curators, and scholars of architecture and art history—as well as those who work across and between these disciplines—are warmly encouraged to submit proposals. At least one of the team members must be an architect, landscape architect, urban planner, or interior architect.
International co-laboration is encouraged, but the curatorial team must maintain a connection to the local context. Any collaboration between national and international members should be meaningful and substantial, rather than merely symbolic. The curators are expected to function as a cohesive and committed team. As representatives of TAB 2026 in both local and international media, fluency in both Estonian and English within the team is essential.
➔ At least one member of the curatorial team must be a certified architect, interior architect, landscape
architect, or urban planner.
➔ The team must be fluent in both Estonian and English, as the curators will represent TAB 2026 in local and international media and professional contexts.
The Tasks
The curators will be responsible for conceiving and overseeing the following core components of the biennale, each of which must reflect and amplify the chosen curatorial vision:
1. Curatorial Exhibition
➔ At least half of the exhibited works must be commissioned specificaly for TAB 2026 and relate to the local context.
➔ A minimum of one-third of the participating artists or practices must be architects with an Estonian
background.
➔ The exhibition must include no fewer than nine individual works. If the curatorial team has a clear different idea about having more or fewer exhibits, this can be discussed. The primary venue for the Curatorial Exhibition is the Estonian Museum of Architecture, located in the historic Rotermann Salt Storage. The exhibition may occupy:
➔ The first-floor gallery space
➔ The third-floor gallery
Should the curatorial team wish to propose alternative or additional venues, they are welcome to do so, provided the rationale is clearly articulated. Please note that the use of external venues may incur additional rental costs and must be coordinated with the Estonian Centre for Architecture.
2. TAB Catalogue
The curatorial team will compile the TAB 2026 catalogue, which shall serve as a critical and reflective companion to the exhibition and broader programme.
➔ At least one-third of the catalogue’s content must consist of original texts or visual material authored or commissioned by the curators that articulate, elaborate, and contextualise the biennale’s main theme.
3. Symposium
The curators will develop the content for the TAB 2026 symposium, an academic and discursive forum exploring the themes of the biennale.
➔ The symposium should draw connections between the curatorial exhibition and broader architectural
debates, facilitating exchange between scholars, practitioners, and experts.
➔ At least one-third of the invited speakers must be of Estonian origin or based in Estonia.
➔ The curators will be responsible for conceptualising the programme, as well as inviting and confirming the speakers, while ECA will coordinate the logistics and production of the event.
The Budget
Curatorial Fee and Support
For the fulfilment of the responsibilities outlined in this document—namely the delivery of TAB 2026’s core programme (the symposium, curatorial exhibition, and catalogue)—a curatorial fee of €22,000 wil be awarded.
The total production budget for the realisation of TAB 2026’s core programme is €72,000, inclusive of the
curatorial fee.
To broaden the scope and ambition of TAB 2026, both the ECA and the appointed curatorial team are
encouraged to pursue additional funding opportunities, whether through public cultural grants, private
sponsorships, or international collaborations. These supplementary resources may serve to expand the visibility, scale, and impact of the biennale.
The ECA’s production team will work in close collaboration with the curators to ensure the successful artistic and logistical delivery of the biennale. This support extends across the planning, production, and public presentation phases.
Indicative A location of the Core Programme Budget (€72,000)
➔ Curatorial Fee – €22,000
➔ Curatorial Exhibition – €34,000
(including artists’/architects’ fees, production and shipping costs of the exhibits)
➔ Symposium – €8,000
(including speakers’ fees, travel, and accommodation expenses)
➔ Catalogue – €8,000
(including participants’ fees, editing, layout, and graphic design)
➔ Talinn Vision Competition – Subject to separate funding; budget TBA
The budget is indicative and may be adjusted based on curatorial input and the availability of additional funding.
Submission Requirements
➔ A title for TAB 2026, presented in both Estonian and English.
➔ A synopsis of the proposed curatorial theme (up to 300 characters), provided on a separate page.
➔ A clearly articulated concept for the curatorial exhibition, including an initial list of proposed participants (up to 6,000 characters).
➔ Visual material, comprising: – 1 to 3 key concept illustrations (drawings, collages, visual metaphors, spatial diagrams, or other relevant representations); – 3 visual references (precedent projects or illustrations that contextualise the proposal).
➔ A short description of the relevance of the proposed theme (up to 1500 characters) within the Estonian
context and its resonance with broader international architectural and cultural discourse.
➔ A short conceptual outline of the symposium, including how it will engage the main curatorial theme and a preliminary list of suggested speakers (up to 2,500 characters).
➔ A list of topics to be developed as original content for the TAB 2026 catalogue, expanding on the curatorial theme.
How to Apply
Submissions must be delivered digitally to: info@tab.ee
Program Benefits & Awards
To honour the creative and intellectual labour of the applicants, the total prize fund for the competition is
structured as follows:
➔ Winning Proposal – €3,000
➔ The Remaining Teams Selected for Stage II (4 teams) – €1,000 each
Entry Fee
None
Location
Tallinn, Estonia
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 8 September 2025
Website Link: https://2024.tab.ee/we-are-thrilled-to-unveil-the-new-curatorial-competition-brief-for-tab-2026/
