O—Overgaden explicitly invites artists to submit an application based on their practice, rather than applying with an already defined exhibition proposal. Artists are thus invited to describe recent and long-term developments, methodologies, and ongoing transformations, as well as thoughts on coming developments within their practice.

Instead of asking for a specific project fitted to the institution, O—Overgaden concentrates on molding the institution to the artistic practice and providing support as it develops, adapting to the artistic production’s material changes, conceptual crossroads, unexpected turns, and detours that take place in the process of making an exhibition. In this way, the development of the exhibition takes place in close dialogue between the artist and O—Overgaden’s curatorial and installation team.

In order to secure resources for the changing exhibitions and exhibitors, Overgaden’s Open Call centers on solo shows, whether a single artist’s work, artistic duos, groups of artists working collectively, or an artist and a curator in collaboration.

• Application deadline: 5 February, 2025, 1pm (Copenhagen time)

• Please submit your application via O—Overgaden’s online application platform. You can find the link for this at the bottom of this page. As well as filling in the form, please submit a CV and documentation as one PDF file, maximum size 5MB.

• Please note that due to the rise of applications over the recent years, O—Overgaden has introduced a small administration fee of 50 DKK (around €7.50); to submit the application you will need to make the payment via a Danish or internationally valid credit card.

More information about the application material:

• Summary and motivation: Please submit a brief summary of your practice, with thoughts on why an exhibition at O—Overgaden makes sense now (maximum 1,000 characters including spacing).

• Practice description: Please submit a description of your practice and artistic processes including thoughts on upcoming developments (maximum 3,000 characters including spacing).

• CV and documentation/portfolio (to be presented in one PDF, maximum 5MB): Please submit image documentation of previous and current artworks and production. O—Overgaden recommends that the portfolio contains a maximum of around 25 images. For performance, video, and sound pieces, please submit one or more links. For longer time-based works, we recommend preparing shorter preview clips with a maximum duration of 2–3 minutes. Please submit a CV of maximum 2 pages.

• Remember to have a valid credit card ready, as your application will only be submitted once the administration fee (50DKK) is paid.

• Please note that you need to click “Add” after entering your personal applicant information at the top of the application form. We recommend you do this before submitting further information.

By uploading your material, you consent to O—Overgaden keeping your application in our archive for up to two years.

• Deadline for applying is 1pm on 5 February, 2025.
  

• It typically takes a minimum of two months to process the Open Call applications and reply to all applicants. Responses will not include individual feedback.

In O—Overgaden’s Open Call programming, emphasis is put on experimental, emerging, and distinctive artistic practices, and on productions of critical and societal relevance. O—Overgaden focuses on offering support to and shedding light on new artistic positions or new aspects of an artistic practice, which often coincides with inviting artists early in their professional development.

Overall, O—Overgaden aims to present a program that spans a breadth of discourse, voices, and media. The program is devoted to actively working against inequality and discrimination, whether based on gender, ethnicity, background, body, or regional or international kinship.

The Open Call is overseen by the Director and Chief Curator of O—Overgaden, alongside O—Overgaden’s in-house Curator and Project Coordinator. Together, they will process the applications and make the final selection for this Open Call.

To ensure diversity in the selection process, O—Overgaden has invited an external jury consisting of two artists and two curators to make a pre-selection of the applications that will be presented to O—Overgaden’s committee and pooled alongside the pre-selection made by O—Overgaden’s own team. Following this shortlisting process, O—Overgaden’s curatorial team will make the final choice of artists. The external jury’s work is paid by the newly introduced administration fee. Jury members will be announced in January 2025.

A solo exhibition typically occupies a large part of either O—Overgaden’s ground or 1st floor.

Artists who are offered an exhibition at O—Overgaden are invited into a collaboration with the organization’s curatorial and technical teams on the grounds of their practice, with the objectives of supporting and contextualizing the development of an exhibition, often including a new, large-scale production.

O—Overgaden collaborates with the artists in planning and setting up a budget for the exhibition and supports the artists in their own fundraising efforts, which is essential to secure the artist’s own production of new works.

O—Overgaden is further offering the invited artists an exhibition honorarium of 22,500 DKK and support for the exhibition production, financially as well as technically. O—Overgaden will organize the exhibition opening, one or more events related to the exhibition, photo documentation of the exhibition, and an accompanying print publication. As well, O—Overgaden will promote the show both locally and internationally.