The Round Tower announces an annual Open Call for exhibitions in the Library Hall, inviting artists, designers, architects, communicators, and researchers to apply for an exhibition period.
The Round Tower was built to elevate human insight and perspective. The tower is a unique historical and architectural landmark, one of Denmark’s most visited cultural institutions, and home to the oldest observatory building in Europe.
In the Library Hall, located halfway up the tower above the Trinitatis Church, exhibitions, concerts, and events are held. The cultural program of the Library Hall is meant to convey the narrative of the entire building complex’s world of history, church, and astronomy, brought to life through contemporary and relevant content in art, science, adventure, and architecture.
Since 1987, when the Library Hall opened in its current form, the Round Tower has been able to present a varied program consisting of changing exhibitions and cultural events.
The Library Hall has hosted more than 270 exhibitions.
The Round Tower Calls for Exhibitions for 2026
The Round Tower aims to present a strong and diverse program of high-quality special exhibitions and is currently looking for exhibitions for 2026.
With this Open Call, the Round Tower invites artists, designers, architects, communicators, and researchers within history, natural sciences, and humanities, as well as interdisciplinary collaborations, among others, to apply for an exhibition period in the Library Hall in 2026. The work or interest of the exhibitors should be aligned with the context of the building complex and the theme of the year.
Both groups and single artists can apply.
Theme for Exhibitions in 2026
In 2026, the Round Tower aims for the exhibitions to contribute to the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the world-renowned professor of astronomy, Ole Rømer, and his discovery that light has a finite speed. He himself referred to it as “the delay of light.” In the oldest scientific journal, Journal des Sçavans, one could read in 1676 how Rømer’s observations of Jupiter’s moon led to the determination of a finite speed of light.
Ole Rømer is one of the most famous astronomers who led the Round Tower’s astronomical observatory. At the same time, he also served as a churchwarden for Trinitatis Church and as the chief librarian for the Royal University Library, which was then housed in the Library Hall. Additionally, he was responsible for the planet machine in the Spiral Ramp. Ole Rømer is the only person to have held a significant role in all three functions of the Trinitatis complex simultaneously.
OPEN CALL 2026: LIGHT
The year 2026 marks the 350th anniversary of Ole Rømer’s groundbreaking discovery of the speed of light, and the theme for the exhibitions will therefore be “LIGHT” in all its facets—literal or metaphorical.
“LIGHT” will be the overarching theme that the exhibition series must reflect. It is a requirement that all exhibitions created for the Library Hall in 2026 address or interpret this theme.
Exhibitions may be based on scientific, historical, or astronomical aspects, but literary, philosophical, and religious approaches are also welcome. The theme can also be related to contemporary and future issues and research.
Apply via the form below.
Deadline for applications for an exhibition period in 2026: November 24st 11:59 PM.
The Round Tower supports artists with a setup team for all installation days and provides consultation with the programme manager and exhibition technician during the development of the exhibition. Additionally, selected exhibitors will receive an exhibition fee of 50,000 DKK and a contribution of 25,000 DKK to be used for materials and production of the exhibition. An additional subsidy for transportation can also be agreed upon.
Application Process
All applications for exhibitions at the Round Tower are reviewed by the management and board of the Round Tower.
Applications are only accepted via the form below until November 24, 2024. The Round Tower does not accept physical applications.
Applicants will receive an automatic receipt by email—remember to check your spam filter if it doesn’t appear in your inbox.
Exhibitions under consideration will be notified directly in mid-December 2024 and invited to a follow-up interview in week 3, after which the final exhibitions will be selected.
If you are not invited for an interview, your application is no longer under consideration. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide individual feedback for declined applications.
Please review the Round Tower’s complete Terms and Conditions for Exhibitions before applying. You can also find more information in the dropdown menu below.
Before submitting your application, the Round Tower staff can answer any practical questions:
Head of Program
Ditte Marie Lund, dml@rundetaarn.dk
Website link: https://www.rundetaarn.dk/en/open-call-for-exhibitions/
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