Organizer Information

Located on unceded Whadjuk Noongar land in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) stands as one of Australia’s leading centers for the development, presentation, and debate of contemporary visual, performing, and interdisciplinary arts. PICA is renowned for backing artists who take conceptual and formal risks. This major commission is made possible through a historic philanthropic gift from the Simpson Family to honor the enduring cultural legacy of art patron Judy Wheeler (1954–2010).

Title & Description

The 2027 Judy Wheeler Commission.

Entering its fifth year, this major annual program invites Australia-based artists to propose and execute ambitious, site-responsive temporary artworks. The commission explicitly focuses on PICA's transitional, public, and circulation areas—spaces of passage and movement encountered by visitors as they move through and around the building architecture. Rather than filling enclosed white-cube galleries, artists are challenged to activate functional architectural zones with bold installations that question space, history, and civic presence.

Target Spatial Parameters:

Proposals may span single or multiple integrated public areas within the historic PICA building (originally one of Perth's first schools). Eligible spaces include:

  • The front entry lobby and ground-floor main foyer.
  • Central open stairwells, corridors, and connective hallways.
  • The expansive first-floor mezzanine balcony and structural window panes.
  • Note: Traditional enclosed exhibition galleries, artist residency studios, and internal administrative offices are strictly excluded from the spatial footprint.

Categories

Visual Arts, Sculpture, Installation, Painting, and Interdisciplinary Practices.

Eligibility

  • Geographic Base: Open to all contemporary artists, collaborative duos, or organized collectives currently based anywhere across the states and territories of Australia.
  • Career Stage: Welcomes applications from practitioners at any milestone, from early-career/emerging figures to highly established creators.
  • Age Requirement: Entrants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of submission.
  • Originality Mandate: The proposed project must be a entirely new, unexecuted concept designed specifically for the architectural realities of the PICA site. Previously exhibited iterations will not pass review.
  • Availability Block: Selected laureates must be fully available to travel to Boorloo (Perth) to manage physical installation workflows and participate in public launch events in early February 2027.

Program Benefits and Financial Architecture

The overarching commission carries a comprehensive total value of $30,000 AUD, allocated via the following milestones:

  • Artist Fee: A flat $10,000 AUD reward stipend (inclusive of statutory superannuation). Collectives are welcome to apply, but the baseline fee remains fixed at $10,000 and must be shared among members.
  • Production Funding: A dedicated $10,000 AUD cash pool assigned directly for development, materials, asset fabrication, and technical engineering expenses.
  • Mobility Package: Institutional financial contributions toward interstate travel logistics, including return airfares to Perth, accommodations, and per-diem honorariums.
  • Institutional Context: Presentation as a flagship public centerpiece of PICA’s official 2027 annual program calendar, backed by a full year of on-site display longevity.
  • Staff Support: Deep curatorial, administrative, and hands-on installation assistance from PICA's specialized technical team.

Fees

  • Application Fee: None (Free to enter).

Application Requirements

Submissions can be registered through PICA's secure digital portal or transmitted via email utilizing the official downloadable Word document template. The expression of interest dossier requires:

  1. Artwork Proposal Text: Clearly articulating the core concept, material choices, targeted structural spaces, and conceptual alignment with the commission's experimental parameters.
  2. Cultural Protocols Review: A brief statement specifying any potential First Nations cultural consultation or indigenous partnerships you intend to seek to respect the unceded territory of the Whadjuk Noongar people (guided by Creative Australia and NAVA summary practice frameworks).
  3. Project Budget & Production Timeline: Mapping out logical development milestones running from July to December 2026.
  4. Artist Curriculum Vitae (CV): Maximum of two A4 pages documenting past exhibitions, awards, or commissions.
  5. Visual Presentation Sheets: Maximum of 5 sketches, floor plan overlays, mockups, or digital renders detailing the physical orientation of the proposed work inside PICA.
  6. Past Work Archive: Maximum of 5 high-quality images representing relevant previous sculptural, sonic, or installation achievements.

How to Apply?

Submit your compiled data directly through the active digital application engine or email your finished Word document package to Exhibitions Manager Lizzy Doepel at elizabeth.doepel@pica.org.au.

Key Dates

  • Application Close: Monday, June 8, 2026, at 11:59 PM AWST (Australian Western Standard Time). Emailed or digital files caught post-timestamp will be automatically excluded from review.
  • Laureate Notification Window: June 26, 2026.
  • Active Artwork Development: July – December 2026.
  • On-Site Installation & Premiere: January – February 2027.

Location

Australia, Perth / Boorloo (51 James Street, Perth Cultural Centre, WA 6000).

Additional Details

Submissions undergo structural evaluation by an elite multi-disciplinary selection panel, including Georgia Hayward (Curator, PICA), Alix Beattie (Senior Curator, ECU), and Ilona McGuire (Kungarakan and Noongar Artist). Projects are judged on artistic excellence, architectural responsiveness, spatial feasibility, and safety within high-traffic zones of passage.

Website Link: https://pica.org.au/