The Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art calls for artists to submit proposals by 4 January 2027 to represent Estonia at the 62nd Venice Biennale in 2028.

The proposal, in free format, should introduce the vision the artist proposes to realise at the Estonian pavilion of the Venice Biennale. Based on the proposals and portfolios submitted, an international jury will make a pre-selection of artists to meet for a longer discussion, after which the final selection will be made. During the selection process, participating artists are not required to develop the exhibition project or confirm the rest of the exhibition team.

The selected artist will develop an exhibition project based on the proposal, which will be developed into an exhibition at the Estonian pavilion together with the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA). The exhibition team will be expanded as needed, according to the requirements of the project.

Terms of the open call

– The applicant must submit a proposal of no more than 6000 characters, outlining an initial idea or theme the artist would like to address, as well as the main directions of the artist’s work, working methods, and the motivation for creating an exhibition at the Estonian Pavilion. In addition, the applicant must submit a portfolio (a website may also be provided) and CV, including a selection of works and projects from at least the last five years.

– The applicant must be a physical person. The open call is intended for artists who are working in Estonia or are from Estonia.

– As the jury is international, all materials must be submitted in English.

– All materials must be submitted to the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art at post@cca.ee no later than 4 January 2027.

– The applications will be evaluated by an international jury. The composition of the jury will be confirmed during 2026 and announced on the CCA’s webpage. The members of the jury and persons closely connected to them are not eligible to participate in the open call.

Criteria of evaluation

– Originality of the artistic language, international scope and potential to engage with an international audience
– Contribution of the exhibition project to the Estonian art scene
– Artist’s experience and professional background
– Artist’s personal motivation, willingness to collaborate and sense of responsibility

Legal relations

– The CCA is the responsible organiser of Estonia’s exhibition at the Venice Biennale. The CCA team organises the organisational and technical aspects of the exhibition and takes part in artistic and conceptual preparation of the project.
– The selected artist will work together with the CCA to realise the project. As the responsible organiser, the CCA retains the right to make proposals for the development of the project and to involve additional partners within the limits of the budget.
– The CCA reserves the right to make changes to the details of the realisation of the project if these are objectively justified or are due to circumstances beyond the CCA’s control.
– The relationship between the artist and the CCA will be established by a contract detailing the rights and obligations of the parties.
– The fee for the selected artist for developing the exhibition project is 10,000€.

Additional information

The space for the pavilion will be selected together with the artist, taking into account the needs and budget of the project.

The names of the artists who submit applications in the first round will remain confidential. The names of the artists selected by the jury for the second round will be published only with the consent of all participants.

The Venice Biennale is the oldest and largest international art event. Estonia has been participating in the Biennale with a national pavilion since 1997. The Estonian pavilion is organised by the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art. Estonia’s participation in the Venice Biennale is funded by the Ministry of Culture. The 62nd Venice Biennale will take place in 2028.

Contact

Kaarin Kivirähk
Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art
kaarin@cca.ee