Open Call
Glitches, Blips and Bugs
This exhibition will take place as the second in a series of three art exhibitions exploring everyday aesthetic categories emerging under late capitalism. The theme is inspired by and in response to the work of feminist scholar and aesthetic theorist Sianne Ngai, a professor at Stanford University, whose research explores the commonplace aesthetic categories that have emerged in response to capitalism. Ngai argues that these marginalized everyday aesthetics, in contrast to more academically recognized aesthetics such as "beautiful" or "sublime" more directly speak to our daily interaction with and experience of the world around us.
Group art exhibition
Deadline: April 18th, 2025
Exhibition Dates: June 27th - July 3rd, 2025
Location: WEST / Alte WU, Augasse 2-6, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Curators: (I) Instructor and Oliver Cloke
Concept & Open Call:
We are seeking artists whose work looks at the break-down, corruption, and disruption of systems—be they technological, financial, or societal. In an age of increasing instability, where digital noise and systemic failures shape our daily experiences, Glitches, Blips, and Bugs explores how these ruptures can be harnessed artistically, both critically and creatively.
Glitch aesthetics, once seen as mere digital malfunctions, have evolved into a powerful visual and conceptual language. From Rosa Menkman’s explorations of compression artifacts and error aesthetics to Nam June Paik’s pioneering experiments with television distortions, artists have long used malfunctions as a means of exposing hidden structures and questioning dominant narratives. How can these ideas be pushed further in today’s world?
While digital interpretations of the glitch are welcome, we are particularly interested in analogue approaches to the theme—whether through physical media, material decay, disrupted processes, or hacked infrastructures. How can glitches, blips and bugs be depicted beyond the screen? How can error become a method, a movement, or even an act of resistance?
We invite submissions across all media, from moving image, sound, and installation to print, sculpture, and performance.
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 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: April 18th, 2025.
Selection: Artists will be notified of selections within approximately two weeks from the submission deadline.
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.