Organizer Information
Hand-Fetish-Projects (HFP) is an independent art-house, curatorial laboratory, and underground publishing imprint dedicated to exploring contemporary visual culture. Rejecting conventional gallery systems, HFP focuses on translating cultural signals into curated print media, physical artifacts, and artist-led initiatives. The art-house champions regional specificity, counter-archiving, and deep analog preservation, acting as an independent press that frames the printed book as an authored, collective piece of contemporary art.
Title & Description
HFP Issue #01 Open Call: How to Survive in Southeast Asia
Hand-Fetish-Projects has launched its global founding open call for Issue #01, titled "How to Survive in Southeast Asia." For centuries, Southeast Asian visual culture has been filtered through external colonial frameworks and western standards; today, it faces the modern flattening of a globalized digital feed that dissolves regional specificity into generic aesthetic templates. This print project serves as an act of resistance and intentional preservation, documenting the visceral, raw texture of the region from within. HFP seeks visual entries that examine the humidity, density, informal architecture, urban exhaustion, and unresolved cultural frictions defining Southeast Asian realities. Moving far beyond a basic directory, the selected imagery will be curated, juxtaposed, and sequenced into a premium, limited-edition art print anthology designed to preserve these distinct cultural artifacts long after digital streams fade.
Categories
The publication accepts a wide spectrum of visual approaches that can be cleanly translated onto a page, highlighting
- Paintings, Drawings,
- Experimental Photography,
- Illustration, Graphic Design,
- Typography,
- Collage,
- Mixed-Media,
- and Experimental Image-Making.
Both analogue and hybrid workflows are highly encouraged, and AI-assisted works are eligible when employed with clear conceptual intent.
Eligibility
- Regional Creators: Open to all contemporary artists who were born, formally trained, or whose creative identities were directly shaped by Southeast Asia.
- International Creators: Open to artists outside of Southeast Asia who propose works documenting an authentic, un-romanticized encounter with the region—prioritizing raw friction and texture over standard postcard distance.
- Experience Benchmarks: Welcomes practitioners at all career stages; style, medium, and academic credentials are secondary to conceptual resonance.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Founding Edition Inclusion: Selected creators feature as founding contributors in HFP's inaugural physical archive and limited-edition museum-grade publication.
- Digital Distribution Edition: All chosen artists receive a high-resolution, print-ready PDF edition of the complete book to share with personal collectors and professional networks.
- Archival Preservation: Artworks are printed on premium, archival-grade fine art paper, with creators retaining priority access to purchase the final physical book at strict production cost.
- Network Indexing: Permanent attribution within the growing HF Projects historical archive, complete with directed digital channels back to the artists' web portfolios.
Application Fee
Submission is completely free of charge. There are no application fees or portfolio processing costs for this founding issue call.
Application Requirements
All applications must be finalized digitally. The structural submission requirements include:
- Portfolio Constraints: A maximum of 3 completed works or distinct images per artist.
- Technical File Format: High-quality digital files or analog documentation saved as JPG or PNG in the RGB color space, at a minimum of 300 DPI (or a minimum of 2000px on the shortest side).
- Themed Artist Statement: A concise, direct text in English describing the work. This must focus on what was witnessed, felt, and held onto within the frame rather than a standard career biography.
How to Apply?
Portfolios and statements must be uploaded cleanly through the centralized Airtable form portal. Social media submissions, direct messaging, or regular email attachments will be systematically excluded from the editorial review process.
- Application Link: Hand-Fetish-Projects Airtable Submission Portal
Key Dates
- Application Submission Phase: June 15 – July 31, 2026
- Selection & Curatorial Review Window: August 1 – August 15, 2026
- Official Selection Announcement: August 30, 2026 (via direct email notification)
- Expected Publication Release: September 2026
Location
Portfolio submission and curatorial sequencing take place entirely Online, while the final museum-quality anthology is physically printed and globally distributed from the organization's independent press hub.
Additional Details
Artists retain 100% of the native copyright over their creations. By completing the form, selected creators grant Hand-Fetish-Projects a non-exclusive, non-commercial right to publish, archive, and promote the imagery solely in structural alignment with Issue #01 activities. The platform does not license, trade, or sell individual artist submissions independently.