Main Curator
Ryo Kajitani leads the curatorial direction, final exhibition structure, and written responses for selected artists.
Working title for the first edition
Queer Art Open Call
A small independent online exhibition for artists working from queer experience, unstable bodies, chosen kinship, private mythologies, and forms of visibility that do not sit neatly inside the mainstream art economy.
- Up to 10selected artists
- USD 10entry fee
- Onlineexhibition
- 1 yeararchive
Open Call
Not a crowded listing. A small edited room.
This first edition is being drafted as an independent queer art open call. The exhibition will gather a limited group of artists whose work asks for time, written context, and a page that does not flatten everything into a feed.
Selected artists will be presented with artwork images, profile text, artist statement, and a longer curatorial note written by Ryo Kajitani. The project is intentionally modest in scale so the writing can remain attentive.
Ethos
Queer, here, is treated as a position of looking as much as an identity category.
The call may include queer and trans artists, artists working with sexuality, gender, body, care, refusal, grief, nightlife, intimacy, family, fiction, performance, photography, collage, digital images, and other practices that do not behave politely.
The tone should stay specific rather than corporate: provisional, intellectually serious, artist-facing, and transparent about its limits.
What Artists Submit
- Artwork images for consideration
- Artist profile or short biography
- Artist statement or work statement
- Contact information and website or social link
What Selected Artists Receive
- Online exhibition feature
- Artwork and statement presentation
- Extended curatorial note by Ryo Kajitani
- One-year exhibition archive
Review
Curated by one visible editor, read with two outside voices.
Anonymous Reader
A second reader evaluates submissions independently. The role is anonymous during the first edition to keep the focus on the call.
Anonymous Reader
A third reader adds another perspective before the final selection is confirmed.
Target Schedule
First edition planned for 2026
- Theme, payment route, application form, and terms finalized
- Open call announcement and application launch
- Submission deadline and review period
- Online exhibition published and archived for one year
Apply
Applications will open after the theme, payment route, and submission terms are fixed.
The entry fee is planned at USD 10. Payment may be handled through Stripe, CuratorSpace, Submittable, or another application platform depending on operational fit.
Archive
The archive should feel like a record, not a marketing page.
Artwork
Selected images presented with enough white space for focused viewing.
Statement
Artist statements displayed alongside the work rather than hidden in a profile page.
Curatorial Note
Each selected artist receives a longer written response to distinguish the project from ordinary listings.
FAQ
Working notes for the first edition
Who can apply?
The draft call is intended for queer and trans artists, and for artists whose work engages queer life, bodies, intimacy, visibility, refusal, or related cultural and political questions.
Will artists retain copyright?
Artists retain copyright. Submitted images should only be used for review, exhibition presentation, promotion, and the one-year archive under the terms published before applications open.
How will payment work?
The payment route is still being evaluated. The first version is designed so a Stripe, CuratorSpace, Submittable, or form-based link can be added without rebuilding the site.