OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS
Velvet Tensions is a group exhibition about work that holds two opposing things at once: softness and violence, beauty and unease, intimacy and distance, restraint and desire. We are looking for art that sits in that contradiction rather than resolving it.
The title points to what velvet does. It is soft but it holds pressure; luxurious but it can bruise; beautiful in a way that is hard to look away from. We are after work that carries a similar charge: tender and severe at the same time, composed on the surface with something unsettled underneath.
The show is open to every medium and reads “tension” broadly. It can be emotional, physical, political, or formal. Your curatorial response is where you show us how your practice meets them (Please see APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS below).
SUBMISSIONS OPEN 1 JUNE – 12 JULY 2026 · FREE TO APPLY
WHO MAY APPLY
The open call is open to artists of any nationality currently living and working in Ghana. There are no restrictions on medium. Painting, sculpture, textile, photography, video, sound, performance, and installation are all welcome. The call is open to artists at every stage of their career. There is no application fee.
KEY DATES
| Submissions open | Monday 1 June 2026 |
|---|---|
| Submissions close | Sunday 12 July 2026, midnight |
| Artists notified | By 3 August 2026 |
| Exhibition opens | Friday 6 November 2026 |
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The exhibition is built around tension, not around a medium, material, or identity. We are interested in work where softness presses against violence, where beauty makes us uneasy, where intimacy is also distance, and where restraint becomes a form of desire. Work that is tender and severe at once, composed on the surface with something unresolved underneath.
The curatorial response is the most important part of your application. We are not looking for a polished argument. We want to see a real connection between how you already think and work and the concerns of this show. You do not need to resolve these tensions in your work; you need to be working inside them.
Applications are submitted through the online form here. The form is divided into the following sections.
Artist information
Name, location, contact details, website or portfolio (if available).
Biography
A short biography in the third person. Maximum 200 words.
Artist statement
A statement describing your practice. Maximum 200 words. This should speak to your work broadly, not specifically to this exhibition.
Curatorial response
This is the most important section of the application.
In 200–400 words, explain how your practice engages with the themes and tensions of Velvet Tensions. You may approach this as a reflection on existing work, or a more open-ended consideration of the relationship between your practice and the show’s concerns. We are not looking for a formal argument, we are looking for genuine contact between your thinking and ours.
Work submission
You may submit up to 3 existing works.
For each existing work: title, medium, dimensions, year, and a brief description (100 words max).
Images
High-resolution images for each submitted work. Minimum 1200px on the longest edge, JPEG or PNG, maximum 10MB per file. For time-based work (video, sound, performance), provide documentation images and a link to a viewable file or documentation reel.
Logistics
For each submitted work: any fragility or handling notes, and any specific installation requirements (power, rigging, wall loading, specialist equipment). This information is used for planning purposes only and does not affect selection.
Declaration
A confirmation that the submitted information is accurate, that you are the sole creator of the work (or have the right to submit it), and that you have read and understood these guidelines.
Can I submit if I am not Ghanaian?
Yes. The call is open to artists of any nationality who are currently living and working in Ghana.
Can I submit collaborative work?
Yes. If submitting a collaborative work, please indicate the name(s) of all collaborators in the
artist information section. The application should be submitted by one named contact on behalf
of the collaboration.
Can I submit work that has been exhibited before?
Yes. Existing works submitted for consideration may have been exhibited previously.
Can I submit work that is currently held by another institution or collector?
Only if you have the right to loan the work for the full exhibition period (6 November 2026 – 24
January 2027) and can confirm this at the time of application.
Is there a limit on scale or medium?
No hard limits. Where a work has significant installation requirements; (large scale, specialist
equipment, structural loading) please describe these clearly in the logistics section so we can
assess feasibility.
When will I hear back?
All applicants will be notified by 3 August 2026, whether selected or not.
Will my application be kept confidential?
Yes. Applications are reviewed by the curatorial team alone and will not be shared outside the curatorial
process.
ENQUIRIES
For questions about the open call or the exhibition, contact us at info@deicentre.com or call
+233 55 403 8145.
Follow the Dei Centre on Instagram at @deicentre.gh for updates during the call period.