Organizer Information
play_station is an artist-run gallery and creative space in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. Established in 2016, the space has developed as a platform for contemporary, conceptual, emerging, and experimental artistic practices. Its programme has included exhibitions, performances, talks, workshops, screenings, and collaborative projects, with a particular emphasis on giving artists an accessible environment in which to test ideas and develop their practices.
The organisation operates as a not-for-profit artist-run initiative and has received support from public arts bodies, including Wellington City Council and Creative New Zealand. Creative New Zealand records also identify play_station as a recipient of arts funding for its visual-arts exhibition programme.
play_station is currently located at 1/233 Willis Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand, and maintains regular public gallery hours from Thursday to Saturday.
Title & Description
Call for Proposals 2027 — play_station
play_station invites artists and curators to submit proposals for its 2027 exhibition programme, covering exhibition periods from February to December 2027. The open call is intended primarily for artists based in New Zealand, as the organisers explicitly state that international proposals will not be accepted.
The opportunity is open to proposals for solo and group exhibitions, while also encouraging more experimental approaches to programming. Artists and curators may submit curatorial projects, off-site projects, and experimental proposals, allowing applicants to propose projects that may extend beyond a conventional gallery exhibition.
Applicants are asked to submit an exhibition proposal of no more than 600 words, explaining the proposed title, concept, context, physical and/or digital components, individual works, and equipment requirements. Supporting visual documentation—such as photographs of proposed artworks, exhibition renders, working drawings, or documentation of recent works and exhibitions—should accompany the proposal within a single PDF.
Selected projects will receive a month-long public exhibition at play_station, together with practical, technical, curatorial, promotional, and documentation support from the gallery team. The space provides a facilitator as the artist's principal contact and assists with installation, deinstallation, exhibition promotion, opening-night staffing, and professional photography.
The programme is deliberately broad and can accommodate different contemporary practices and exhibition formats. play_station has historically positioned itself as a space for emerging and experimental work, as well as a place where artists can develop and test ideas outside conventional institutional gallery structures.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Contemporary Art
- Conceptual Art
- Installation
- Multimedia / Digital Art
- Photography
- Sculpture
- Painting
- Performance
- Experimental Art
- Curatorial Projects
- Group Exhibitions
- Off-site Projects
- Interdisciplinary / Multidisciplinary Practice
Eligibility
- New Zealand-based artists and practitioners
- International proposals are not accepted
- Open to individual artists and groups
- Solo and group exhibition proposals are eligible
- Curators may submit proposals
- Experimental and off-site projects are encouraged
- Emerging and established artists may be considered
- No specific age restriction is stated in the supplied call
- Applicants should be able to present their proposed project within the play_station programme and gallery context
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected artists receive a month-long public exhibition as part of play_station's 2027 programme. The gallery offers:
- A month-long exhibition opportunity
- A dedicated gallery facilitator and point of contact
- Digital and print graphic design support
- Promotional email distribution to play_station's electronic database
- On-site technical assistance
- Installation assistance
- Deinstallation assistance
- Curatorial support
- Staff for the opening night
- Staff to sit the exhibition from Thursday to Saturday
- Professional photographs of the completed exhibition
- Access to basic installation tools and materials
- The possibility of selling artworks during the exhibition
Play_Station also states that additional or specific support can be discussed on a case-by-case basis, and applicants should identify their requirements in their proposal.
The call does not specify a cash prize or artist grant. Applicants should also note that they remain responsible for transportation and insurance costs for their artworks.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Applicants must submit their proposal by email to: playstation.space.info@gmail.com
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 4 September 2026
- Outcome Notification: By the end of November 2026
- Exhibition Programme: February–December 2027
- Exhibition Duration: Approximately one month for selected projects
- Opening Night: First Wednesday evening of the exhibition period, 5:30–8:00 PM
- Installation: From the Sunday preceding the exhibition
- Deinstallation: Saturday immediately following the exhibition's closure
Location
Aotearoa, New Zealand
Additional Details
The gallery is open to the public:
- Thursday: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Friday: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Saturday: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Artists may make works available for sale. Sale prices must include GST, and play_station retains a 30% commission on artworks sold during the exhibition. Sale stickers and prices cannot be displayed on gallery walls.
For the opening, play_station provides beer and water. Exhibitors may arrange food and non-alcoholic drinks.
Artists should allow sufficient time for installation. Basic tools and materials are available, but applicants are responsible for sourcing specialised tools or materials when required. Any unusual installation requirements should be identified in the proposal.
Artists are responsible for the transportation and insurance of their artworks.
Applications are assessed by the play_station programming panel, consisting of the organisation's board members and invited artists/curators from the community. The supplied call states that applicants will receive their outcome by the end of November.
The exhibition programme is supported by Creative New Zealand. Creative New Zealand has also listed play_station among organisations receiving public arts funding, supporting its status as an established participant in New Zealand's contemporary visual-arts ecosystem.