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NEWS 202 5

WEDNESDAY 29TH OCTOBER 2025

https://www.mataderomadrid.org/programacion/en-los-margenes-de-la-economia-politica-del-arte

UNTIL 15TH JANUARY 2026



Digital Curatorial project  - Deadline 15 january 2026


Fair Art Trade is pleased to announce an open call for curators interested in developing a curatorial project conceived to be displayed in a digital format on fairarttrade.net platform.  We seek proposals that resonate with our mission of highlighting works rooted in the experimental methodologies of emerging, mid-career, and established visual artists. Additionally, we prioritize initiatives that foster democratization, transparency, and equity within contemporary art market practices

Eligibility and scope


  • Open to professional curators (open to all, not limited to geographical location)

  • The proposed project must include a selection of visual artists (minimum of 4) who articulate the spirit of the project

  • The format of the project must be digital but open to different presentation formats (eg. interactive web, film, virtual room...).

  • Curators are expected to provide technical support to materialize the proposed format and integration into the Fair Art Trade website.


  • Artists must be confirmed and artworks agreed with each of them upon submission


What we are looking for


Curators who:

  • Demonstrate a clear curatorial vision for the project
  • Align themselves with the principles of Fair Art Trade (equity, transparency, sustainability and ethical commitment in the arts)
  • Propose a “field” project together with the artists where the historical relevance within an artists practice and/or contemporary “archaeological” perspective of the selected artworks is valued in the study (find more about this concept here: https://fairarttrade.net/About)
  • Identify and select unexhibited works, such as works in progress, proof tests, discards, or sketches, which artists may have kept for years without finding a place in an exhibition narrative
  • Have experience or interest in creating online exhibitions or projects
  • Propose an innovative project that challenges the boundaries of the current contemporary art landscape

Fair Art Trade focuses on creating alternative commercial avenues for visual artists (complementary to those of the commercial galleries with which they usually collaborate), to highlight those pieces that cannot be exhibited or that remain in the "limbo" of the studio. Fair Art Trade mediates (with a minimum profit margin), in order to make them profitable, providing a trickle of recurring income for the artist(s), while opening an alternative access route for new collectors of contemporary art.



What we offer


  • €600 net fee for the development of the curatorial project. It will be divided into two payments: the first half will be paid the first week after the public announcement of the selected project and the second half will be paid once the project is finalized and presented. Both payments will be made by bank transfer.
  • Support and guidance from the Fair Art Trade team to align the project with our values and technical capabilities.
  • Promotion of the project through Fair Art Trade platforms and networks.
  • The curator will have her/his/they name associated with the artists of the platform, as well as on social media.
  • Fair Art Trade is open to dedicate a page within the Fair Art Trade website, but we may consider as well hosting a specific 3D virtual platform that would allow three dimensional viewings of the project, should this be part of the proposal.


How to apply


Please send the following materials in PDF by email to office@fairarttrade.net:

1. Curatorial proposal: (PDF max 3 mb)

  • Title of the proposal
  • Description of the curatorial concept (maximum 500 words) and how the project aligns with the principles of Fair Art Trade (maximum 150 words)
  • Summary of the tools that will be used and explanation of the adaptation of the project for online display (maximum 150 words)

2. Portfolio / CV: (PDF max 3 mb)

Portfolio highlighting relevant projects, exhibitions or curatorial experience

3. Artist proposal: (PDF max 3 mb)

  • A list of a minimum of 4 artists to be included in the project (names and CV of each one)
  • Brief reasoning explaining the reason for the selection, and how their work fits into the curatorial approach

4. Works: (PDF max 10 mb)

Documentation of the works selected for the project and links/images of previously completed projects


Timeline


  • Deadline for applications: 15 January 2026
  • Announcement of the selected curator: 30 January 2026
  • Deadline for project completion: 30 March 2026


Evaluation criteria


Applications will be evaluated based on the following:

  • Relevance and originality of the curatorial concept
  • Diversity and relevance of the selected artists
  • Level of interaction/fieldwork with the selected visual artist(s)
  • Disruptiveness/riskiness of the proposal
  • Feasibility of reflecting the proposed project in digital format
  • Alignment with the mission and principles of Fair Art Trade

We encourage proposals that challenge conventional curatorial formats and take advantage of the possibilities of the digital space.

The jury reserves the right to declare the call void if the proposals do not meet the established criteria.


Composition of the jury


The jury will be composed of the management team and the advisory board of Fair Art Trade.


Intellectual property rights


The beneficiary/ies grant Fair Art Trade, on a non-exclusive basis, for the entire period of its protection until it becomes public domain and for the entire world, the rights of reproduction, distribution, public communication, making available to the public and transformation of the tangible materials and documents derived from the project of their authorship and of all those contents of their authorship, so that Fair Art Trade can use, disclose, reproduce, distribute, communicate to the public, make available to the public and transform, through any means or in any form, including their disclosure under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons BY NC ND license, which allows anyone to access the protected memory and content and share it with other people, without a profit motive, recognizing in all cases their authorship.


About Fair Art Trade


Fair Art Trade is dedicated to creating a fair and transparent art ecosystem that benefits visual artists, the general public, curators and collectors alike. Our platform is based on principles of equitable income distribution, fostering sustainable careers in the arts and making contemporary creation a social and material good accessible to a global audience.


Questions?


For inquiries about the open call, please email office@fairarttrade.net