Organizer Information
Sensity Studio is an independent contemporary art platform focused on supporting emerging artists through curated open calls, exhibitions, and international visibility initiatives. The studio operates at the intersection of curatorial practice, artist development, and global art-market engagement, with a particular emphasis on expanding access for underrepresented voices in contemporary art. Its programming is designed to connect early-career artists with established curators, collectors, and institutions, while also positioning thematic frameworks that encourage critical reflection on urgent socio-cultural conditions.
For its 2026 edition, Sensity Studio continues its commitment to supporting emerging talent through a structured open call model that combines curatorial selection with professional development outcomes. The organization maintains strong connections across Europe and the UK art ecosystems and regularly collaborates with curators, writers, and cultural producers who work in both institutional and independent contexts. This networked structure allows selected artists not only to gain exhibition exposure but also to enter longer-term professional pathways within the contemporary art system.
Title & Description
Radical Joy – Sensity Studio Open Call 2026
The 2026 open call, titled “Radical Joy,” invites emerging women artists to submit works that explore joy as a critical, transformative, and resilient force within contemporary life. Rather than framing joy as superficial, decorative, or secondary, the program positions it as an essential artistic and existential principle—one capable of sustaining creativity, resistance, and endurance in contexts marked by crisis and uncertainty.
The thematic focus challenges dominant narratives that associate contemporary artistic production primarily with trauma, instability, or socio-political distress. Instead, it encourages artists to reframe joy as an active mode of inquiry and expression. This includes emotional complexity, embodied experience, collective healing, pleasure, hope, and subtle forms of resilience. Artists are invited to interrogate what it means to create from a position of joy, and how joy itself can function as both subject matter and methodology in artistic practice.
Selected works will be considered for inclusion in a 2026 group exhibition in Europe, alongside broader international dissemination efforts. The program also aims to facilitate market access and professional visibility, positioning participating artists within a wider curatorial and institutional dialogue.
Categories
This open call is interdisciplinary and accepts a broad range of artistic practices, including but not limited to:
- Visual Art (painting, drawing, mixed media, installation)
- Photography
- Video Art / Film
- Digital Art / New Media
- Performance Art
- Textile and Fiber Art
- Sculpture
- Conceptual / Research-Based Practices
- Multimedia and Interdisciplinary Works
Eligibility
- Open to emerging women artists internationally
- Applicants may work individually (collective submissions are not specified in the source)
- Suitable for early-career practitioners seeking international exposure
- No explicit age restriction is stated
- International applications are welcome, with emphasis on global participation
- Artists working across any medium are eligible, provided their work engages with the theme of “Radical Joy”
Program Benefits & Awards
The open call offers two levels of selection outcomes:
Selected Artist (1 total):
- Three months of PR and communications support
- Direct access to international art-market networks, with emphasis on the UK and Europe
- Inclusion in a curated group exhibition in Europe in 2026
- Enhanced visibility through curatorial positioning and institutional engagement
Finalists (3 artists):
- Professional portfolio reviews with established curators and industry experts
- Guidance and feedback aimed at strengthening artistic positioning and market readiness
- Entry into an international curatorial network and potential future collaboration opportunities
The program is designed not only as an exhibition opportunity but also as a developmental platform for career progression within the contemporary art ecosystem.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Artist CV or biography
- Portfolio of previous works (images, video links, or documentation)
- Artist statement or conceptual description
- Project proposal or work aligned with the theme “Radical Joy”
- Basic personal information and contact details
- Optional supporting materials depending on practice (e.g., video documentation, installation views, or research notes)
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Opening: 27 May 2026
- Application Deadline: 17 June 2026, 23:59 (UK time)
- Selection & Notification Date: Not specified in the source text
- Exhibition Period: 2026 (exact dates to be announced)
- Residency Period: Not applicable
Location
Additional Details
The jury panel for “Radical Joy” includes internationally recognized curators, cultural producers, and art professionals active across Europe and the Middle East. Their combined expertise spans digital art, curatorial innovation, cultural programming, art writing, and institutional leadership. The selection process is therefore highly curatorial, emphasizing both conceptual strength and professional readiness.
A key conceptual foundation of this open call is the reframing of joy as an active, radical, and politically meaningful force in artistic production. Artists are encouraged to interpret the theme expansively, including paradoxical, ambiguous, or emotionally complex expressions of joy. The program also emphasizes visibility and market integration, particularly within European contemporary art circuits, making it especially relevant for artists seeking professional advancement beyond purely experimental or academic contexts.