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The aim of the call for proposals is to promote the BA Collection, the artists and works it comprises; and to establish a support scheme for professionals in the arts and culture sector to help them develop curatorial projects.
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The selected project will result in the development of an exhibition and associated public programmes at the URIBITARTE40 Gallery between approximately November 2026 and February 2027.
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The deadline for submitting projects is 7 June.
(Bilbao, 4 May 2026). BilbaoArte, the Bilbao City Council’s Centre for Artistic Production, has opened the application period for the third call for proposals to curate the BilbaoArte Collection and develop an exhibition project for 2026–2027. Applications may be submitted until Sunday 7 June.
The exhibition will consist exclusively of works from the BA Collection and will be held at the URIBITARTE40 Gallery between November 2026 and February 2027. The selection process will assess the originality and innovation of the conceptual approach and exhibition proposal; the quality and creativity; the financial and practical feasibility of the proposal in terms of deadlines, format and resources; the suitability and relevance of the ideas and lines of work presented in relation to BilbaoArte’s vision and mission; the contextual relevance and the fostering of links and relationships with local and national stakeholders; as well as previous experience in work related to contemporary art, and exhibition and research projects carried out.
Visual artists, researchers and curators of any age and nationality, working individually or collectively, and linked to contemporary art and culture, are eligible to participate.
Each participating individual or group may submit a single proposal per call for entries via email to bilbaoarte@bilbao.eus, stating “curatorial call for entries” in the subject line and the name of the applicant. The selected project will be announced on Friday 12 June.
The objectives of the competition are, firstly, to promote the BilbaoArte Collection, its artists and the works it comprises. Secondly, to develop an exhibition project (comprising exclusively works from the BA Collection) and a programme of public events (talks, meetings, conferences, tours, performances, presentations, etc.) to be held at the URIBITARTE40 Gallery at BilbaoArte between approximately November 2026 and February 2027. And, thirdly, the creation of a support scheme for professionals in the arts and culture sector to facilitate the development of curatorial projects.
BILBAOARTE COLLECTION
The BA Collection comprises over 600 works and spans a wide range of contemporary disciplines and practices. Its development is closely linked to BilbaoArte’s mission as a centre for professional artistic production.
Since 1998, at the end of their residency at BilbaoArte, each artist has donated one or more pieces to the Collection in return for the support received. Taken as a whole, it reflects the contemporary art scene of recent years and brings together a significant selection of high-quality works by Basque, Spanish and international artists. This intrinsic nature of growing in tandem with the artists’ creative output gives it a unique character as an expression of contemporary art.
In April 2023, the BA Collection was recognised by the Basque Government in the Register of Museums and Collections of the Basque Country. Group exhibitions are organised periodically to raise the profile of the artists featured in the collection and offer new perspectives and interpretations of the imagery presented by the works and artists as a whole.
More information via this link