Organizer Information

Le Radar – Espace d'art actuel, located in the historic center of Bayeux, is a winner of the 2025 "Artothèques en Ruralités" call for projects. Supported by the Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP) and the French Ministry of Culture, Le Radar launches this commission to bridge historical heritage with contemporary creative practice.

Title & Description

"Lettres – Trames – Images" Print Commission.

This project invites artists to provide contemporary reinterpretations of the Bayeux Tapestry, a medieval masterpiece often described as the "first comic strip". The call arrives amidst a significant commemorative window: the renovation of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum (2025) and the upcoming millennium of William the Conqueror (2027). Artists are encouraged to explore the tapestry's narrative gaps, its role as a tool of medieval "soft power," and its influence on French and British identities. Selected works will enrich the art library's collection and be featured in exhibitions touring France, the United Kingdom, and Jersey starting in 2027.

Categories

Visual Arts, Printmaking, Graphic Arts, Comics/Bande Dessinée, and Illustration.

Eligibility

  • Open to individual visual artists or artist collectives, including graphic and comic book artists.
  • Applicants must have a proven professional track record (exhibitions or professional publications).
  • Residency Requirement: Must be a legal resident of France, Great Britain, or the Channel Islands.
  • There are no specific nationality requirements.

Program Benefits and Awards

  • Remuneration: €1,550 (including VAT) per winner, covering design, production monitoring, and copyright transfer.
  • Production Support: Le Radar covers all production costs (paper, ink, expertise) and provides a flat fee of approximately €150 for travel to the workshop in Paris.
  • Technical Mentorship: Artists will be accompanied by the Screen Printing Institute and Séverine Bascouert.
  • Visibility: Inclusion in the Radar art library collection and participation in an international exhibition tour in 2027.

Fees

  • Application Fee: Free to apply.

Application Requirements

Complete applications (maximum 15 pages) must be submitted as a single PDF and include:

  • Administrative Record.
  • CV and Portfolio.
  • Statement of Intent: Maximum 2,500 characters, mentioning the envisaged technique and including a sketch or visual characterization of the project.

How to Apply?

Applications must be submitted electronically to commandeestampes@le-radar.fr. The email subject line should follow the format: BPLP_LAST NAME FIRST NAME PROJECT.

Key Dates

  • Application Deadline: May 17, 2026 (Midnight).
  • Pre-selection Committee: June 5, 2026.
  • Announcement of Winners: June 12, 2026.
  • Delivery of Final Prints: By November 1, 2026.
  • Exhibition Tour Launch: Early 2027.

Location

France, Bayeux (Le Radar) and Paris (Production Workshop).

Additional Details

Selected works must be screen prints in a landscape format: 70 cm high × 100 cm wide, with a maximum of 4 colors/passes. This specific format is designed to echo the formal relationship of the original Bayeux Tapestry.

Website Link: https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/

As an artist based in the reg