OPEN CALL — What is Gender?

Presented by: ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art and Culture

Location: Carrer de Espronceda 326, Nave 4–5, 08027 Barcelona

OPEN CALL: June 30th – September 1st

Opening: 16th October  2025, 7:00 p.m.

Exhibition Dates: 16–25 October 2025 (by appointment only – please email: info@espronceda.net)

Join the international collective — next stop: Barcelona, October 2025

ESPRONCEDA Institute of Art & Culture, in collaboration with the international artist collective What is Gender?, opens a call for four local artists based in Catalonia to join an upcoming group exhibition in Barcelona this October 2025.

What is Gender? is a nomadic, interdisciplinary art project and itinerant exhibition platform designed to travel the world. As an artistic movement, it brings together a growing community of artists committed to difference, tolerance, and diversity. It uses contemporary art to explore and challenge the notion of gender — beyond binaries, beyond fixed roles, and beyond borders — while creating spaces of reflection and resistance.

The project opens up artistic dialogue around themes such as gender, identity, social roles, marginalisation, and belonging always rooted in local voices and collective processes. It has already travelled to cities such as Geneva and Istanbul, and now lands in Barcelona for the first time — marking its debut both in Catalonia and in Spain.

This edition was born with the aim of bringing this global debate into the local Catalan context, fostering the active participation of artists based in the region who work from diversity, critical thinking, and contemporary creation. The exhibition highlights local voices within an international framework, while promoting visibility for the plurality of genders, identities, and backgrounds present in Catalonia today.

Through formats such as installation, video, painting, and performance, What is Gender? raises questions and breaks stereotypes, creating a space for artists to explore gender from their own experiences and sensitivities. The project promotes values such as equality, freedom of expression, inclusion, and cultural diversity, and aims to become a bridge between local creation and international networks, opening up new opportunities for collaboration and shared reflection.

The exhibition will open on Thursday 16 October at ESPRONCEDA. From Friday 17 to Saturday 25 October, visits will be possible by appointment only.

We’re looking for four artists working in visual, installation or hybrid practices whose work relates to gender and identity — whether directly or through a more poetic or experimental lens. The selected artists will be chosen by the curatorial team — Anastasia Kaymak , Henrik Sprengel, Şanel Şan Sevinç, Nilgün Sabar, Gilles Grassioulet, and Maribel Navarro — and will be accompanied throughout the process. Selected artists will present their work alongside a diverse group of international artists as part of this evolving and interdisciplinary project.

What is Gender? also aligns with NEB & Inclusión 2025, Espronceda’s annual artistic research program inspired by the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative. This program focuses on social justice, diversity, sustainability, and innovation, reinforcing Espronceda’s commitment to inclusive artistic practice and accessibility for underrepresented communities.

How to apply

The Open Call will run from the week of June 30 until September 1, 2025. Applications are submitted through a Google Form.

In the form, you’ll be asked to respond to a few open-ended questions. There are no right answers — we’re looking for honesty, curiosity, and resonance. You’ll also be asked to share a short bio, contact information, and links or images of your work.

Conditions

The exhibition will not charge any participation fee. However, transport and handling of the artworks will be the full responsibility of the selected artists. Technical needs will be supported within the limits of the available space and budget. Artists will participate in communication materials, curatorial dialogues, and visibility during the event.

Let’s reimagine gender through art. Apply now and join the dialogue! https://forms.gle/w2r1rdwdqoNzWW3W6