Concept & Theme:

In this exhibition, we are inviting artists to make and show work exploring THE GIMMICK, an aesthetic category researched by cultural theorist and feminist writer Sianne Ngai and presented in her 2020 book Theory of the Gimmick: Aesthetic Judgment and Capitalist Form. A shortcut, a cheap trick, a ploy to convince you that you need something that you really don’t, the gimmick promises more than it delivers. Ngai describes the gimmick as “an idea, a technique, or a thinglike device” that seems to be working too little in the case of a labor saving trick, or too hard in a strained effort to get our attention. Full of contradictions, it can be seen as both outdated and too advanced, cheap and overpriced, simple and overly complex, trivial and essential all at the same time. Over or under preforming in relation to the standards of productivity at the time, the gimmick strikes us as overly "futuristic to the point of hubris, as in the case of Google Glass, or comically outdated, like the choreographed jerks used to simulate turbulence in televi­sion episodes of Star Trek.” It thus earns a reputation for bad timing in the constant cycle of innovation, obsolescence and reinvention.

The gimmick, however, exists not as a measurable attribute, but rather in the act of aesthetic judgement itself. Ngai describes it as an expression of dissatisfaction “linked to our perception of an object making untrustworthy claims about the saving of time, the reduction of ­ labor, and the expansion of value.” The gimmick can therefore expose something deeper about how we think about production and consumption, and how we make sense of the often contradictory forces that shape our lives. By highlighting skepticism in the relationship between labor, value, and time, in a roundabout way the gimmick gets at the very core of how our economic systems work.

Yet from the stainless steel banana slicer to the cryptocurrency derivative, our very concept of the gimmick implies awareness that, in capitalism, misprized things are bought and sold continuously. Its flagrantly unworthy form can be found virtually anywhere: manufacturing, law, banking, education, politics, healthcare, real estate, sports, art. (Ngai)

If the gimmick is a judgement of something as fraudulent or overrated, its economic circulation implies that there are also those who are duped by the gimmick (and therefore indirect targets of our judgement). And yet, the gimmick is also an object of fascination and humor, and the criticism of it is can be its own satisfying reward. Ngai writes how “the damaged gimmick’s intimate relation to comedy…reminds us of how the exercising of suspicion can be creative, playful, and sometimes queer.” The form of the gimmick can thus be a source of amusement but also a tool of social critique. This can especially be seen within the arts: from Marcel Duchamp’s Readymade, to Banksy’s half-shredded drawing, to Maurizio Cattelan’s banana taped to a wall, many artists flaunt the tenuous relationship between the labor and time involved in artistic production and the appraisal of its value as a capitalist commodity. In exposing these connections between capital, labor and how we measure worth, the gimmick ultimately reflects the capitalistic systems shaping our perception and saturating our everyday life.

How to Apply

NOTE: While a proposal for specific artwork is very welcome, we are also open to receiving submissions from artists who feel a strong connection between this theme and their practice and are still developing artwork ideas.

Please fill out the submission form linked below
Included in the submission form:

• Contact information

• A short written statement (max. 250 words, in English) on a proposed artwork, or (if still developing artwork ideas) your interest in the gimmick as a theme and how it connects to your artistic practice

• Link(s) to your website, portfolio or other relevant material

• Logistical information (potential installation requirements, etc.)

Deadline: February 17th, 2025.

Selection: Artists will be notified of selections by February 23rd

Additional Information

Eligibility: This Open Call is for visual artists working in all mediums. VCAS is committed to inclusivity and accessibility, and encourages artists from all backgrounds to apply. If you have any accessibility concerns, please get in touch!

Installation and equipment: As VCAS is a young organization with limited resources, we can only accept a limited number of artists who would not be in Vienna to install and deinstall their own artwork, or provide their own technical equipment.

Artist Fee: Unfortunately, we are not able to provide any financial support to artists at this time.

Contact

For inquiries, please contact office@vcasvienna.com.