Open Call for Proposals 

woldt concept, Ethics & Memory Space, video frame from an AI-video-creation, ©woldt.concept

Your are very welcome to submit your proposals for our new research project

Artistic Proposals for Spatial Memory in the Digital Age (Side Track / Project Line) Ethics & Memory Spaces (EMS)

About the project

Ethics & Memory Spaces (EMS) is a multi-year curatorial-research initiative of the Woldt Gallery and it's research collaborators that examines how historically, aesthetically, and mnemonically charged spaces can be re-articulated under conditions of digital transformation (including AR and AI-assisted mediation). The project engages artistic and architectural case studies as reference points (e.g., Peter Eisenman's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Anselm Kiefer's studio ensemble in Barjac, the gestural pictorial spaces of K. R. H. Sonderborg). 

Side Track / Project Line

Alongside the main curatorial line, the Side Track invites contemporary artists to contribute experimental works that expand the project's questions. Selected proposals will be presented online and/or in physical settings as part of the EMS programme over a period of two to three years.

What we are seeking

• Spatial memory as aesthetic and epistemic experience (installation, environment, site-specific practice).
• The relation between individual encounter and collective remembrance.
• Digital transformations of spatial experience (e.g., Augmented Reality, interactive or hybrid formats).
• Ethical stakes of mediation (image rights, data protection, cultural sensitivity).

Eligible formats

• Installations, site-specific interventions, performative or process-based works.
• Digital/extended-reality works (AR/VR, interactive environments, web-based platforms).
• Research-driven visual essays or experimental documentary forms (if spatially/experientially conceived).

Technical & spatial parameters

Please specify the intended presentation context (digital/on-site/hybrid), anticipated spatial footprint, power and network requirements, and any safety or accessibility considerations. Following review, scheduling will be agreed with the curatorial team and aligned with the relevant phase of the programme. At this stage, an exact presentation date cannot be confirmed.

Submission materials (single PDF)

• Project description (max. 2 pages): concept, methods, audience experience, and ethical considerations.
• Portfolio (up to 10 pages): selected works with captions/links.
• Technical sheet: production needs, installation timeline, budget outline (if applicable).
• Short bio/CV (max. 1 page) and contact details.

Timeline

Deadline: 15th October 2025, 23:59 CET]

Notification: November 2025

Presentation window: rolling within the 2–3 year programme cycle.

Selection & review

Submissions are reviewed by the Woldt Gallery's curatorial team in consultation with research partners. Criteria include conceptual clarity, relevance to the project framework, feasibility, and ethical integrity.

Fees & compensation

EMS Side Track currently operates without dedicated funding. Participation is unpaid (no artist fees or honoraria). Artists cover production, packaging, transport, installation/de-installation, insurance, and travel at their own cost and risk, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Production, logistics & risk

Artists are responsible for all costs related to the conception, production, preparation, packaging, transport (inbound/outbound), customs (if applicable), installation, maintenance, and de-installation of their works. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the Woldt Gallery does not provide artist fees, production budgets, shipping, insurance, or travel/accommodation. Works remain at the artist's risk at all times; the gallery will exercise reasonable care but accepts no liability for loss, theft, or damage except in cases of gross negligence or wilful misconduct. Artists are advised to maintain their own insurance coverage.

What we offer

• Curatorial feedback and conceptual/technical review (incl. AR/digital).
• Professional documentation and publication on the Woldt Gallery website and within the EMS archive.
• Inclusion in public programme/communications where relevant.
• Letters of support for the artist's own funding applications.

Low-impact participation options

To keep participation feasible, we especially welcome proposals designed for low-cost logistics (AR/digital, web-based, remotely installable, locally fabricated from artist-supplied files).

Funding contingency

Should external funding be secured, limited support (e.g., micro-grants, fabrication assistance, technical services) may be offered by separate written agreement; such support is not guaranteed.

Rights & credits

Artists retain copyright. By submitting, you grant the Woldt Gallery a non-exclusive right to present the work (and its documentation) within the EMS programme (online/offline) with proper credit. Any future sales/editions would require a separate written agreement.

Accessibility & ethics

Proposals should consider accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and responsible data/image use. Works engaging memorial sites or sensitive histories should articulate a clear ethical approach.

How to submit

Send your single-PDF application (max. 15 MB) with the subject "EMS Side Track – Proposal – [Your Name]" to: info@woldtgallery.com by 15th October 2025. Links to preview videos or AR demos are welcome.

Fees & Compensation
EMS Side Track currently operates without dedicated funding. Participation is unpaid (no artist fees or honoraria). Artists cover production, packaging, transport, installation/de-installation, insurance, and travel at their own cost and risk, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

What we offer instead
We provide (1) curatorial feedback and conceptual/technical review (incl. AR/digital), (2) professional documentation, (3) publication on the Woldt Gallery website and within the Ethics & Memory Spaces archive, (4) inclusion in public programme/communications where relevant, and (5) letters of support for artists' own funding applications.

Low-impact formats encouraged
To keep participation feasible, we welcome proposals designed for low-cost logistics as well (AR/digital, web-based, remotely installable, locally fabricated from artist-supplied files).

Funding contingency
Should external funding be secured, limited support (e.g., micro-grants, fabrication assistance) may be offered by separate written agreement; this is not guaranteed.

Rights & non-commercial context
This programme is research-driven and not sales-led. Artists retain copyright. The gallery receives a non-exclusive right to present the work (and documentation) within the programme. Any future sales/editions would require a separate written agreement.

10. September 2025, Woldt Gallery