The Animate OPEN sets out to celebrate, subvert and confound expectations of what animation is. It will bring together different artistic approaches that connect through their exploration of the concept of animation, both as a contemporary art and craft practice. We are looking for artists’ animation that explores form and technique and has an experimental approach.
We are looking for single screen, experimental animation, made by artists and animators based anywhere in the world since September 2022.
As with the two previous OPEN exhibitions, Digitalis and Parts & Labour, we have a theme – ALL THAT IS SOLID – a phrase from the Communist Manifesto.
All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and [people are] at last compelled to face with sober senses, [their] real conditions of life.
The theme is deliberately broad; we’d like to see a range of work that reflects or responds to the world today – community, activism, protest – urging us to become agents of a future, better world.
The Animate OPEN is a partnership between Animate Projects and QUAD, Derby, and the exhibition will launch in February 2025, as part of QUAD’s current annual thematic programme, New Worlds, New Discoveries. We also plan to screen the works with other partners, in cinema and gallery spaces. An exhibition guide will include information about the artists and works, and commissioned writing. An online talk will take the OPEN as a starting point for a discussion on experimental animation practice today.
All selected animations will be eligible for the Jury Award (£1,000) and Audience Award (£1,000). Selected artists will be paid an exhibition fee of £300, for the gallery and touring screenings, for a period of 12 months. For the exhibition opening in Derby, travel and accommodation will be covered for UK-based artists.
For more information, visit Animate Projects
