Open call of self-publishing house Unknown Person and Kafedra Gallery
The Unknown Person publishing house and Kafedra Gallery announce the 9th open call for the international collective project “city noise.” The project will take place as an exhibition in summer/autumn 2026 and will also result in a small-print publication. Deadline: May 25, 2026
Location: Leipzig, Germany
city noise
The contemporary city is no longer a stable architectural structure. It functions as a media interface where propaganda, advertising, wars, algorithms, control systems, and protest interventions are intertwined with screens, sound signals, and personal media environments.
In this open call, we are looking for works that not only reflect the overload of the contemporary city, but also make it tangible on an aesthetic and emotional level, and transform it through artistic means.
We are looking for your urban findings in the form of text, sound, and photo stories, as well as video and animation.
Who can participate?
Artists and writers over 18 years old from any country are welcome to apply. We have no gender restrictions, and we do not take into account your fame, exhibition experience, or existing publications. You can submit your work anonymously if you wish.
Work format
Text
Use up to 1000 characters and genre of essay or autofiction (English language)
Photo
Use .jpg file, resolution 300 dpi, size A-4, A-3, A-2 or A-1 (your choice: horizontal or vertical). We accept work in digital format only (scan, photo or digital image). You can write an accompanying text that we can use, if the concept is suitable
Video art
Use .mp4 format with a duration of 10 seconds to 360 seconds, resolution 1080x1080, 1920x1080 or 1080x1920. English subtitles are allowed. We will also print a screenshot from the video that fits the book project
Sound art
Submit sound in WAV format
We welcome genres such as noise, field recordings (documentary sound), ambient, and other related experimental sound practices
WARNING
A maximum of one work* (video, text or image) per participant in the Open Call will be accepted for consideration. We reserve the right to select any frame from your video and apply color correction (including black and white) for the book accompanying the exhibition.
We reserve the right to select any frame from your video and apply color correction (including black and white) for the book.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT WORKS THAT DEMEAN HUMAN DIGNITY, INCITE HATRED, OR CONTAIN EXPLICIT CONTENT (18+).
We do not accept work that was created before 2025. We aim to build an exhibition-based research project focused on contemporary urban environments, addressing urgent social, political, and sensory conditions of the present.
Results of open call
Results of the open call will be announced in Juny 2026. The the project format will be determined based on the specifics of the selected works by the curators. In addition to the participants of the Open Call, we will invite local artists. At present, Kafedra Gallery and the self-publishing house Unknown Person are nomadic projects, and we are designing our open calls to ensure adaptability for recreating exhibitions and performances in any space.
The 'Unknown Person' project, as previously, is funded through our own resources and donations. You can support us through the link.
BELOW YOU WILL FIND AN APPLICATION FORM FOR PARTICIPATION. GOOD LUCK!