OPEN CALL - 22. Begehungen Art Festival

The exhibition will show 25 - 30 works by international contemporary artists, which will be complemented by a festival program with concerts, readings, lectures and performances. The exhibition will be created through works selected by the artistic director, an artist-in-residence program with the European partner festivals of the Begehungen and project ideas from the open call advertised worldwide. The artists who have already confirmed their participation include Hito Steyerl, Ursula Biemann, Gregor Schneider, Amparo Sard, Rikuo Ueda, Daniel Otero Torres, Daniel Canogar, Johanna M. Reich, Diana Lelonek, Nadja Kaabi-Linke and Günther and Loredana Selichar.

The artistic director of the exhibition is Dr. Claudia Tittel. Since 2009, she has worked as a freelance curator and cultural manager in Germany and abroad, including for the Berlin Academy of Arts, the Vilnius National Gallery, the Klinger Forum Leipzig, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar and the Gera Art Collection. In 2016, she was part of the founding team of the Häselburg Cultural Center - Center for New Perspectives and Creativity in Gera. Since 2004, she has taught at universities in Berlin, Leipzig, Jena and Weimar. Dr. Tittel has published widely on contemporary art, media art and architecture. She lives and works in Valencia and Gera.

The Nord heating plant was built in 1957. As the city expanded and heat and energy demand increased, the Nord heating plant was expanded to its current size in the early 1980s. On January 18, 2024, the brown coal power plant was shut down and decommissioned by the operator eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG.

The chimney of the heating plant is known far beyond the city limits. At over 300 meters, it is the tallest building in Saxony. In 2013, the functional building became a widely visible work of art and one of Chemnitz's most popular landmarks. The corresponding concept was developed by the French artist Daniel Buren under the title Seven Colors for a Chimney.

The Begehungen art festival uses an area of ​​​​approx. 15,000 square meters for a wide range of opportunities for artistic discussions. In addition to the extensive, partially green outdoor area, the historically significant cooling tower 1, which dates back to the early 1960s, and various technical facilities, such as the huge metal deionized water tanks, are available as exhibition spaces. In addition, an exhibition area of ​​more than 2000 square meters will be created in three large industrial halls.

The festival was founded in Chemnitz in 2003. It is one of the most renowned art events in Saxony and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Since 2010, the art festival has changed its venue every year. Since then, a former prison, empty cultural centers, abandoned allotments, an old brewery, disused department stores and schools, a drained water park, an abandoned museum and an overgrown train station have been among the festival's venues.

The Begehungen art festival sees itself as an inclusive and barrier-free festival. Access to all program items and the exhibition is free of charge. The festival is made possible by a lot of voluntary work by the members of Begehungen e. V. and many helpers.

The Begehungen art festival is looking for works of art that, with a view to the festival title EVERYTHING IS INTERACTION, make the complexity of the issues of resource consumption, species extinction and climate change visible on various level.

We are interested in creative reflections on the social, ecological and economic consequences of the climate crisis, on the debate on questions of justice and power, and on the social crises associated with it. Site-specific works that include the history, purpose or architecture of the festival location are possible.

The Open Call in 2025 is intended as a direct support for young artists and is therefore explicitly aimed at people who have not yet turned 30. The deadline is December 31, 2025 (so anyone born before January 1, 1995 cannot unfortunately take part in the Open Call). For groups, this age limit applies in the sense of the average age of the people involved in the group.

The exhibition is open to all genres of visual art. Existing works can be submitted, as can conceptual works or performances.

After the application phase ends, the festival team, together with the artistic director, selects the works invited to the exhibition.

Participation in the exhibition is remunerated with an exhibition fee of 800 euros (gross).

Costs for sending the works there and back are borne by the organizer.

Conceptual and/or participatory works can be implemented with a material subsidy of a maximum of 1000 euros. If there is a need for coordinated assembly and dismantling by the artist or assistants, travel costs will be reimbursed and free accommodation will be provided (maximum 5 days).

The following applies to performances: If it is ensured that the performance can be performed at the festival venue on at least three consecutive days during the festival period, it will be remunerated with a total of 500 euros (gross). In addition, travel and accommodation costs are borne by the organizer (please state the place of travel in the application).

It is also possible to apply as a group. The exhibition fee is paid per work, not per person.

Each artist or group can only submit one work.

You will find the application portal here: Apply now

Please note:

• It is only possible to apply with a login. This can be easily requested on the portal.
• It is possible to temporarily save the application form.
• Applications that have been submitted once cannot be processed.
• If not all mandatory fields are filled in, the application cannot be submitted.

The following must be submitted:

• a fully completed online form
• a short portfolio of previous work (digital)
• a short CV
• an image of the work(s) to be exhibited or an audio or video file (as a link)
• For conceptual or participatory works, it is essential to show the time required for implementation and approximate material expenditure
• Indication of age
• When applying, we ask about the type of work of art. This helps us organize the selection process. The following options are available: "Painting / graphics / photography", "sculpture / plastic / installation", "media art / film / sound", "performance" and "other".

All documents must be provided in PDF format or as a link. The file size per PDF must not exceed 10 MB.

Important: Applications by email or post will not be accepted! Only applications from our application portal will be considered for approval!

Questions about the application: application (at) begehungen-festival.de

Is the Open Call age-restricted?

Ja. Der Open Call ist 2025 als direkte Förderung von jungen Künstler:innen gedacht und richtet sich daher explizit an Menschen, die das 30. Lebensjahr noch nicht vollendet haben. Als Stichtag gilt der 31.12.2025 (Wer also vor dem 1.1.1995 geboren wurde, kann leider nicht am Open Call teilnehmen). Für Gruppen gilt diese Altersgrenze im Sinne des Durchschnittsalters der an der Gruppe beteiligten Menschen. Das genaue Geburtsdatum ist bei Gruppen nicht relevant.

Why is the Open Call age-restricted?

The support of young artists is a key purpose of the work of Begehungen e.V.. Fortunately, our festival has experienced an enormous increase in applications to take part in the exhibition in recent years, most recently there were always over 700 applications from more than 60 countries. However, this has meant that the work of the jury has reached a level that is almost impossible to manage. By focusing on young artists in the 2025 Open Call, we are taking these two aspects into account.

Is it also possible to apply as a group?

Yes. It is also possible to apply as a group. The exhibition fee is paid per work, not per person. Each group can only submit one work.

Why is there no residency program this year?

There is a residency program, but this is not part of the Open Call. The residency program is designed for 2025 as a partnership project with art festivals in Finland, Italy and the Czech Republic.

What applies to conceptual works?

For conceptual works that require several days to implement on site, we provide limited funds for travel, accommodation and materials. Conceptual and/or participatory works can be implemented with a material grant of a maximum of 1000 euros.

If there is a need for coordinated set-up and dismantling by the artist or assistants, travel costs will be reimbursed and free accommodation will be provided (maximum 5 days).

Can I also apply with a performance?

Yes, this is possible. The following applies to performances: If it is guaranteed that the performance can be performed at the festival venue on at least three consecutive days during the festival period, it will be reimbursed with a total of 500 euros (gross). In addition, travel and accommodation costs will be borne by the organizer (please state the place of travel in the application).

What kind of accommodation is provided?

We provide a private room in a holiday apartment in which a maximum of two artists live. The holiday apartments are equipped with a kitchen and bathroom.

Where do I go if I have a question?

We will answer questions as quickly as possible at application (at) begehungen-festival.de

Where is the link to the application portal?

Up above, but you can also just click here: https://www.begehungen-festival.de/de/forms/apply/