SANS! New Worlds 2028 — Open Call for Sensory Exhibition Proposal

Overview

Sorø Art Museum and Holstebro Art Museum invite professional visual artists to create a sensuous and imaginative exhibition project for the third and final installment of their SANS! New Worlds biennial series. The exhibition should feature seductive visual and tactile environments that appeal to both sensation and reflection, inviting visitors to see, touch, smell, and listen.

Theme & Concept

A sensory, playful exhibition experience for children and adults (ages 5–12) designed around the series' recurring premise that by experiencing art with the body, we learn more about ourselves and our surroundings. The exhibition must contribute to a tangible, curious relationship with art and include active audience participation through playful, narratively rich, total artistic experiences.

Who Can Apply

Open to professional visual artists who are EU/EEA citizens with permanent residence permit status. Applicants may apply individually, as a duo, or as a group, and may collaborate with scenographers, architects, or designers.

Key Dates

• Application Deadline: 21 September 2026
• Response on Shortlisting: mid-October 2026
• Presentation Round (for shortlisted applicants): 23 October 2026 at Sorø Art Museum
• Exhibition Opening, Sorø Art Museum: Spring 2028
• Exhibition Opening, Holstebro Art Museum: Autumn 2028

Selection & Presentation Round

A shortlist of the strongest projects is invited to an in-person presentation round on 23 October 2026 at Sorø Art Museum, where applicants present their project in detail, including a draft budget, and meet the curator and exhibition team. The final exhibition project and artist(s) are chosen after this meeting.

Selection Criteria

• Imagination, sensuality, and play combined with aesthetic and artistic quality
• Strong artistic quality and visually stimulating exhibition design
• Sense of the total installation's narrative and audience-engaging potential
• Sensory diversity and opportunities for interaction, imaginative play, and creative co-creation
• Exhibition that takes children seriously as an audience
• Durability, safety, and functionality appropriate for ages 5–12

Award & Support

• Selected exhibition project: DKK 200,000 incl. VAT for concept development, production of works, and installation/build at both venues
• Separate display/exhibition-copyright fee (visningsvederlag) paid in addition
• DKK 10,000 preparation fee for shortlisted applicants invited to the October 2026 presentation round
• Artist talks, events, and outreach activities compensated separately
• Museums cover transport, insurance, maintenance, outreach/education, and PR costs
• Museums provide installation/build assistance
• Accommodation provided during build period and for related performances/talks
• Artists may apply for additional external foundation/grant funding beyond the project fee

How to Apply

Applications should be emailed as a single PDF to [email protected], addressed to Ida Lehrmann Madsen at Sorø Art Museum. All applicants are guaranteed anonymity; with the exception of the winning submission, all project materials are deleted from the museums' server once the selection process concludes.

Contact Information

• Ida Lehrmann Madsen: [email protected] / +45 5210 9248
• Marie Louise Helveg Bøgh: [email protected] / +45 5210 9247
• Anders Gaardboe Jensen: [email protected] / +45 9339 8054