Organizer Information
Science Gallery Melbourne is part of the international Science Gallery Network, a leading global initiative dedicated to engaging young audiences (ages 15–30) at the intersection of art, science, and technology. Based at the University of Melbourne, Science Gallery Melbourne commissions and presents exhibitions, public programs, and research-driven projects that explore contemporary issues through interdisciplinary collaboration.
The organization is known for producing highly experimental exhibitions that combine artistic innovation with scientific inquiry, often inviting artists, researchers, technologists, and designers to co-create immersive and participatory experiences. Their programs attract tens of thousands of visitors annually and emphasize accessibility, engagement, and critical thinking.
Title & Description
SENSUAL Exhibition Open Call for Projects
Science Gallery Melbourne invites artists, creatives, and researchers from around the world to submit proposals for “SENSUAL,” an upcoming large-scale exhibition exploring the complexities of human and non-human sensory experience.
In an age dominated by overwhelming visual information, this exhibition shifts focus toward embodied perception—exploring how we feel, sense, and interpret the world beyond sight. The open call seeks participatory, experimental, and interdisciplinary projects that challenge traditional sensory hierarchies and invite audiences into immersive, multi-sensory encounters.
Artists are encouraged to develop works that engage with touch, smell, taste, sound, proprioception, interoception, and other sensory modalities. The exhibition also welcomes critical perspectives on perception, cognition, and sensory diversity, including lived experiences of blindness, deafness, synaesthesia, and other sensory conditions.
Thematically, SENSUAL explores:
- Sensory modalities beyond sight (i.e., smell, taste, touch, hearing, pain, proprioception, interoception, and more)
- Human and non-human perception
- Embodiment
- Lived experiences of differences in sensory perception (Blindness, d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing, anosmia, ageusia, somatosensory loss, synaesthesia)
- Collective sense-making and exploration
- Phenomenology
- Psychedelics
- Information processing
- Sensory augmentation with technology
- Biomimicry
- Pheromones
- First Nations knowledge and cultural perspectives in relation to the exhibition themes
Selected works will be presented in a dynamic, non-traditional exhibition environment, where light, sound, and spatial conditions may vary. Projects should be adaptable, durable, and capable of engaging a diverse public audience over an extended exhibition period.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Installation
- Performance
- Sound Art / Music
- Multimedia / New Media
- Interactive & Participatory Art
- Bio Art / Art & Science
- Research-based Art
- Interdisciplinary Art
Eligibility
- Open to international artists, creatives, and researchers
- Individuals and collectives are eligible
- Open to emerging and established practitioners
- Particularly relevant for artists working across art, science, technology, and research
- Projects must be suitable for a shared exhibition environment and public interaction
Program Benefits & Awards
- Project funding up to $8,000 AUD (maximum, inclusive of all costs)
- Covers artist fees, materials, production, and freight
- Opportunity to exhibit in a high-profile international exhibition
- Exposure to an audience of 30,000+ visitors
- Engagement with a young, diverse audience (15–30 years old)
- Platform for research, experimentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration
- Institutional support from Science Gallery Melbourne
Note: Travel costs are generally not covered within the budget.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- A project proposal (new, in-development, or existing work)
- Description of concept and sensory engagement approach
- Technical and spatial requirements
- Budget outline (within the funding limit)
- Portfolio of previous work
- CV / professional background
Projects should be:
- Interactive or participatory
- Suitable for long-term exhibition (approx. 10 months)
- Feasible within a shared, variable exhibition environment
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 30 April 2026
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Additional Details
- Projects will be exhibited for approximately 10 months
- The exhibition environment is non-traditional, with changing light and sound conditions
- Strong emphasis on:
- Interactivity and participation
- Experimental and research-driven approaches
- Accessibility and inclusivity
- Projects should balance engagement and conceptual depth, inviting audiences through intuitive experiences while enabling deeper reflection
- The program encourages playful, provocative, and speculative ideas that entertain and educate simultaneously