Mussawir Contemporary Launches Open Call for Fall 2026 Programme

Mussawir Contemporary is handing over the gallery keys, and they want your weirdest, most rigorously researched, archive-deep curatorial dreams.  The Al Quoz gallery, known for championing contemporary South Asian art and giving Dubai some of its most layered exhibitions, has launched an open call for its Fall 2026–2027 programme. They want proposals that treat curating as a research practice— projects grounded in critical inquiry, archival depth, material investigations, or socially engaged methodologies. Three selected proposals will be developed into full exhibitions between November and January, with production support, travel assistance, curatorial mentoring, documentation, and a modest budget included. The call is open to emerging, mid-career, and early-career practitioners, including curators, artists, designers, researchers, collectives, and PhD candidates from South Asia, Africa, and the MENA region, with priority given to UAE-based applicants. No formal curatorial training required. What matters is a clearly articulated research question, a strong sense of methodology, and critical awareness of site, audience, and positionality. Experimental formats are welcome: exhibitions, performances, archives, publications, workshops, or something that doesn't fit neatly into any of those categories. Submissions are due March 15th, 2026, and should be compiled into a single PDF sent to info@musawircontemporary.com with the subject line "Curatorial Open Call — Fall Programme 2026–2027." Required materials include a 350–500 word project proposal, a 300–350 word timeline and feasibility statement, a CV, and optional supporting materials like writing samples or previous project documentation. Selected curators will be announced between June and July, followed by a research and development period running through August and September. Then the exhibitions take over— one each in November, December, and January 2027.