Organizer Information
The call is issued by the A Cel Obert Association, the organizing body behind the internationally recognized ephemeral art festival A Cel Obert held annually in the historic city of Tortosa, Spain. The organization works in collaboration with the Tortosa City Council and various cultural institutions to activate architectural heritage sites through temporary, site-specific contemporary art interventions. The festival’s curatorial focus lies at the intersection of visual arts, architecture, and design, with a strong emphasis on spatial experimentation, public engagement, and heritage reactivation. Over its previous editions, A Cel Obert has positioned itself as a key platform for ephemeral installation practices in Southern Europe, inviting international creators to respond directly to architectural courtyards and historically significant urban spaces.
Title & Description
A Cel Obert Festival 2026 – Call for Ephemeral Art Installations
The 13th edition of the festival invites artists, designers, architects, and collectives to propose ephemeral, site-specific installations that will temporarily transform selected courtyards and emblematic spaces across Tortosa. The core concept of the festival is the activation of historical urban environments through temporary artistic interventions that respond to both spatial and conceptual frameworks.
For 2026, the guiding thematic axis is “Nature”, encouraging participants to interpret ecological systems, natural processes, material cycles, and environmental relationships within architectural contexts. Selected artists will develop works that must be fully constructed on-site, remain structurally stable during exhibition days, and be dismantled afterward without damaging the heritage structures.
The installations will be exhibited during the festival dates of 2–4 October 2026, transforming courtyards and passages into immersive artistic environments accessible to the public.
Categories
- Visual Art (Installation)
- Site-Specific Art
- Architecture
- Spatial Design
- Environmental / Ecological Art
- Public Art
- Interdisciplinary / Mixed Media Practices
Eligibility
- Open to international and national applicants
- Individual artists and collectives are eligible
- No restriction on professional level (emerging and established practitioners may apply)
- Collectives must designate a representative responsible for communication and administrative coordination
- Open to practitioners in art, architecture, and design disciplines
- Proposals must be feasible within limited budgets and installation timeframes
Program Benefits & Awards
- €1,800 gross production fee per project (inclusive of VAT where applicable)
- Payment structured in two installments: 80% before the festival, 20% after completion (subject to compliance with installation/deinstallation rules)
- Inclusion in a publicly attended international ephemeral art festival
- Exhibition in historic and high-visibility architectural spaces in Tortosa
- Professional production support in terms of space access and surveillance during the exhibition
Additional awards:
- One Best Project Award, offering an invitation to develop a new funded ephemeral project in another festival supported by Xarxa Transversal
- Public Prize (voted during the festival)
- Children’s Prize (selected via audience participation)
- One selected installation may be invited to be adapted and exhibited at the DeltaChamber Music Festival 2027, with a €700 additional remuneration
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Completed online registration form (via official festival website)
- One PDF proposal (maximum 10 MB) containing:
- Maximum 2 horizontal A3 pages
- Project title (mandatory; no artist names allowed on submission files)
- Visual documentation (plans, diagrams, photomontages, perspectives, infographics)
- Brief descriptive text outlining concept and execution
- Optional multiple submissions allowed (each requires separate registration)
- Language: Catalan, Spanish, or English recommended
For finalists:
- Additional A3 executive sheet detailing technical requirements and installation logistics (e.g., scaffolding, equipment)
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 May 2026
- Finalist Announcement: Week of 15 June 2026
- Executive Proposal Submission (Finalists): 5 July 2026
- Final Selection Announcement: Week of 6 July 2026
- Installation Period: 29 September – 1 October 2026
- Festival Dates: 2–4 October 2026
- Deinstallation Begins: 4 October 2026 (from 19:00 onwards)
Location
Tortosa, Catalonia, Spain
Additional Details
- Works must be fully ephemeral, reversible, and non-damaging to heritage sites
- Installations must remain structurally stable for the full duration of the festival
- Weather-resistant and reusable materials are strongly encouraged
- Artists are responsible for full production, installation, and deinstallation
- Jury may relocate works to alternative spaces if required
- Selected projects may receive sponsorship opportunities, subject to approval
- Festival reserves the right to use finalist projects for promotional purposes
- Non-compliance with installation/deinstallation rules may result in financial penalties or withholding of final payment