Creative Horizons: 4 Inspiring Global Art Opportunities
- Art Dealer Street
- Oct 5
- 6 min read
The contemporary art world is buzzing with fresh open calls and exhibitions spanning the globe, offering artists new platforms to share their visions. From a women-empowerment art expo in Dubai to a thematic new-media show in South Korea, a sensory art fair in Italy, and a tech-inspired city exhibition in London, this week’s opportunities highlight diversity of place and approach. Notably, each of these calls emphasizes cultural exchange and inclusivity. As ZeeArts explains, initiatives like Art Connects Women operate under UNESCO patronage to “champion gender equality in the creative sector,” uniting hundreds of female artists worldwide. Similarly, grantmakers note that international art exchanges “foster tolerance of diverse cultures” and allow artists to engage on the global stage. In that spirit, this column spotlights four timely calls to artists. We briefly introduce each opportunity below – from theme and location to who can apply – before diving into the details.
1. Art Connects Women – 9th Edition (Educate to Empower)
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Application Deadline: 31 October 2025
Art Connects Women (ACW) is a global exhibition and conference dedicated to female artists. Now in its 9th edition, ACW is organized by Dubai’s ZeeArts and runs under UNESCO patronage. The 2026 ACW (Feb 8–11, 2026) will bring 115 women artists from 115 countries to Dubai, reflecting ZeeArts’ goal to “re-align skewed gendered narrations in the art world”. This edition’s theme is “Empower to Educate,” signaling a focus on art as a tool for social change and learning. It’s open to female artists of all nationalities, whether emerging or established. Selection grants participants a prestigious exhibition spot in Dubai and access to ACW’s global network. ZeeArts emphasizes that the platform “drives the empowerment of female artists globally” and celebrates “the transformative power of art” in building an inclusive, equitable world. The program will include a major group exhibition alongside conferences and networking events. ACW has grown from 20 artists in 2017 to over 600 women artists by its next edition, spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. It remains an all-inclusive showcase – past editions have featured painting, digital art, photography, sculpture, installation, performance, and more. Participants benefit from global media exposure and the chance to collaborate across cultures. Importantly, there is no entry fee – ZeeArts highlights ACW as a CSR-driven initiative that underscores art’s role in gender equality and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
2. “Text-ure 2026” – International Exhibition
Location: Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (CICA Museum)
Application Deadline: 19 October 2025
The CICA Museum (Czong Institute for Contemporary Art) in Korea calls for artists worldwide to its “Text-ure 2026” exhibition. This multi-media show explicitly explores the intersection of text and texture: organizers invite works “dealing with subjects on text, context, texture, and tactility”. All visual media are welcome, including photography, 2D digital art, video/interactive art, drawings, paintings, prints, sculpture, and installation. The exhibition itself is scheduled for July 8–26, 2026 at CICA in Gimpo. Submissions are made by email (no entry fee). Artists may submit up to 3 video links or up to 5 image files (100–500 KB each), along with a bio/CV, to submission@cicamuseum.com. The email subject should read “Submission: Text-ure 2026 – Category – Your Name.” (For example, “Submission: Text-ure 2026 – Painting – Jane Doe.”) CICA’s curatorial team will handle all printing and installation of selected works: photographic or 2D works will be printed at roughly 10×15 inches by CICA, with larger prints possible on request. Sculptures and physical works must be shipped to CICA at the artist’s expense, with size guidelines (no more than 100×100×200 cm for installations) applied. Video works are screened with provided equipment, or artists can supply their own if needed.
3. Clio Art Fair 2026 – Independent NYC Artist Fair
Location: New York, NY
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025 (Early Bird); January 19, 2026 (Regular)
Clio Art Fair returns to New York City in May 2026 as an artist-centric alternative to traditional fairs. Billed as “The Anti-Fair for Independent Artists". Clio was founded to spotlight creative minds without exclusive gallery representation. By specifically targeting artists without formal gallery ties, Clio Art Fair “focuses its attention on the kinds of contemporary art and interventions that are being created by independent artists all over the world”. The fair runs in two sessions (May 7–10 and May 14–17, 2026) at 511 West 25th Street in Manhattan. It’s open to solo artists and collectives (18+ years old) globally, across media. Eligible works include painting, photography, sculpture, installation, video, new media, and more. Applicants apply via Clio’s website: artists upload images of their work along with a bio. There are three booth options (Gold, Platinum, Diamond), each starting at 5 feet of wall space. Early Bird applicants (by Dec 1) pay no application fee, while later applicants pay a $50 fee up to the Jan 19, 2026 deadline. Selected artists gain a dedicated exhibition space at the fair, with included perks such as lighting, wall labels, 10 VIP passes, and press exposure. Clio emphasizes a direct, artist-driven experience: the fair’s primary goal is “to create a space for direct dialogue between artists and collectors… without the presence of any long-term mediator”. True to its innovative ethos, Clio was the first art fair to accept cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin) as payment for art sales. By bypassing traditional gallery constraints, Clio empowers artists to experiment freely and reach collectors directly. Participants retain full proceeds from sales (apart from commission if they choose the top Diamond option), keeping the focus on the artists’ work. In short, Clio Art Fair offers a unique, artist-led platform in New York City’s Chelsea art scene, inviting independent creators to engage a global audience outside the commercial gallery system.
4. The City Listens Back
Location: London, UK (Purist Gallery, 114 King’s Cross Road)
Application Deadline: 12 October 2025
PAI_32 (Platform for Art Initiatives) in London launches “The City Listens Back”, an open call and group exhibition focused on urban sensing and connectivity. The exhibition dates are November 13–16, 2025, at the Purist Gallery in London’s King’s Cross. In this theme, the curators ask artists to conceive of the city as a “sentient mesh” – an integrated organism where data and biology intertwine. As their call explains, elements like microclimates, pigeons, algae, ride-sharing data, soil sensors, and CCTV acoustics all form a “living feedback loop” in the city. In other words, “when every surface is instrumented and every organism emits a signal, who is listening — and to whom?”. The City Listens Back is open to an extremely wide range of practices. PAI_32 explicitly encourages submissions in installation, moving image, sound, performance, sculpture, painting, photography, text, and web/interactive art. In practical terms, anything from a sound-based installation to a data-driven video or a tech-infused sculpture could fit this theme. The platform emphasizes that both UK-based and international artists (18+ years old) are eligible. Artworks may be site-specific or experimental; selected pieces will be exhibited in the physically-equipped gallery or its virtual extension..
These four calls together illustrate how global and multifaceted the art world has become. Artists now have unprecedented chances to engage across continents and conversations: from the gender-equality focus of Art Connects Women to the interplay of independent practice and technology at Clio Art Fair, each opportunity invites creators to respond to urgent cultural themes. As cultural organizations observe, such international engagement “enhances the education of all citizens” and builds bridges between diverse communities. Indeed, whether through photography of textural environments, experimental work by independent artists in Manhattan, or feminist art in the UAE, these projects all foster “global cultural exchange through art”. We encourage all interested artists to consider applying. Check each deadline carefully – City Listens Back closes soonest (Oct 12) while others run into late October (Text-ure Oct 19; ACW Oct 31), and Clio’s deadlines extend into December and January. Prepare your materials (images, statements, etc.) well ahead of time, and tailor each submission to the theme. For example, if you paint on calligraphy-inspired textures, CICA’s Text-ure would welcome your work; if you create work outside the gallery circuit, New York’s Clio Art Fair is the right platform; if your art addresses urban or digital connectivity, London’s City exhibition is calling; and women artists with any medium should note the UNESCO-backed ACW showcase.. Above all, remember that these calls are about participation and dialogue. They highlight how creativity can unite people across borders – a sentiment echoed by ZeeArts’ vision of art as a force for inclusivity. As you draft your applications, you’re joining a larger conversation about art’s role in society. We wish all applicants the best of luck, and look forward to seeing the diverse projects that emerge on these global stages.
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