SECOND CYCLE OF THE TAKEOVER PROGRAM COMPLETED
European Month of Creativity
Curator: Antonela Solenički
Artists: Marlen Ban, Sanda Črnelč, Josip Kresović, Stela Mikulin, Branimir Štivić
The Croatian Association of Fine Artists, for this year’s European Month of Creativity as well, within the EU project CreART 3.0, has organized a small festival of contemporary art in business premises – TAKEOVER.
Emerging artists (Marlen Ban, Sanda Črnelč, Josip Kresović, Stela Mikulin, Branimir Štivić), selected by the curator Antonela Solenički, “took over” spaces within recognized companies operating in or related to the fields of cultural and creative industries (Brigada, Google Hrvatska, Grupa, Intera, and architectural studio Randić and Associates).
During the artwork selection process, the curator considered both the typologies of the spaces encountered in the project and the production of content within those spaces, aiming to establish a content-related interaction between the artistic projects presented and the employees who will encounter these projects on a daily basis.
The artists exhibited their works in the companies and presented their work to the employees. Each intervention was also presented to the public through open-door events and conversations with the artist.
ARTISTIC INTERVENTIONS:
Marlen Ban, No Time for a Revolution
Location: Intera, Ulica kralja Držislava 8, Zagreb
No Time for a Revolution poses the question of the contemporary social condition through the statement Nobody is going to start a revolution. This seemingly passive message opens space for a critique of the status quo, where systemic control, censorship, and the normalization of authoritarian practices diminish faith in the possibility of change. The work oscillates between personal reflection and collective uncertainty, questioning why – despite access to information and technology – we remain passive in the face of injustice and dehumanization. It does not call for a revolution, but for reflection: why does revolution feel so distant? Without taking a direct political stance, the aim is to encourage the viewer to question power, identity, and everyday passivity, and to open a space for critical dialogue about social norms we often take for granted.
Sanda Črnelč, I Discovered Something Between Two Bricks
Location: Grupa Showroom, Ul. popa Dukljanina 1, Zagreb
Space and object—motifs that conceptually connected the artist’s previous works—initiated the creation of a new idea, one that visually leans towards abstracting form and conceptually towards self-reflection. By abandoning the brick as a motif, the artist delves into the painterly potential of color and volume, aiming to confront her own fear of taking up space.
Josip Kresović, Ti si bija baš sritno dite (You Really Were a Happy Kid)
Location: Brigada, Nova ves 17 – Centar Kaptol, 2. kat, Zagreb
The spatial installation You Were Such a Happy Kid is a collection of materialized sensory memories of a single moment during childhood. At the same time, it is a record of nervous gestures, rituals of cleaning, scratching, peeling—a channel for anxious energy that is pathologically released because no one ever showed it where to go. It’s also about music you can’t hear, perhaps best evoked by that visceral reaction of body and mind when you catch a whiff of a long-forgotten perfume, and shivers rush over you. The starting point of the work is an event—chronologically blurred but clearly etched. Someone is singing. It’s hot. You’re being watched. Your fingers in your pockets try to reach the femur. Your skin stops them. It burns. You don’t feel it. You’re fine.
Stela Mikulin, Intimate Dialogue
Location: Randić and Associates, Palmotićeva ul. 60, Zagreb
In a space where dialogue has yet to emerge, the Intimate Dialogue project creates a quiet site of anticipation. Instead of presenting a finished form, it builds an open platform with questions inviting migrants to define the direction of the conversation themselves. The platform is not a representation, but a preparation for encounter—avoiding imposition. Inspired by Jean-Luc Nancy’s concept of being-in-encounter, it materializes the anticipation of the other without speaking on their behalf. The analog part of the work—questions, illustrations, and photo collages—documents the artist’s personal process, her introspection, and awareness of the limits of her own perception. The platform remains a framework for a dialogue yet to come.
Branimir Štivić, DOTWORK [256x320px]
Location: Google Hrvatska, Strojarska ul. 20, Zagreb
DOTWORK [256x320px] is a generative video installation composed of low-resolution LED screen modules. By mounting the screens into three-dimensional objects made of aluminum structures and 3D-printed plastic with attached LED modules and electronics, the work explores the physicality of pixels and their “invisibility” within the framework of consumer electronics. Through the combination of multiple monochromatic layers with the use of dithering and dot-matrix algorithms, a low-resolution image emerges that explores the graphic potential of the dot grid. The 3mm spacing between individual pixels—common in advertising panels—is much larger than that of modern screens on phones, computers, and smartwatches, allowing for the observation of light as the constructive element of screens, which also functions as ambient lighting in the space.
About the curator:
Antonela Solenički is an independent curator and researcher. She holds a degree in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies from NABA in Milan, and a bachelor’s degree in Art History and Spanish Language and Literature, which she studied in Zagreb. As part of the NOVAci project, developed in collaboration between WHW and Pogon, she curated the exhibition At the Tip of the Tongue (2022) at Gallery Nova in Zagreb. She is currently working as a curator at the Miroslav Kraljević Gallery in Zagreb.
About the artists::
Marlen Ban (b. 1999) completed her undergraduate studies at the Department of Animated Film and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. She is currently finishing her studies in Public Administration at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb. Since May 2025, she has been doing an internship at the Office of the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality. She works as a production assistant at the Miroslav Kraljević Gallery and leads art workshops at the Together Association and Club, part of the Sveti Ivan Psychiatric Hospital.
Sanda Črnelč (b. 1997, Zagreb) graduated in 2023 from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Croatia, Department of Art Education, Painting program, in the class of Assistant Professor Marko Tadić, Art.D. She is the recipient of the Rector’s Award for a group art project in the 2017/2018 academic year at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb, as well as a scholarship from the Chinese Government for the 2019/2020 academic year within the funded IMFA program, during which she spent a year at the China Academy of Art. In 2024, she was a participant of the sixth generation of the WHW Academy.
Josip Kresović (b. 1992, Zadar) is an interdisciplinary artist and psychologist. In 2018, she earned her Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Zadar, specializing in the psychology of art, focusing on visual-aesthetic sensitivity and the relationship between art and mood. Alongside her studies, she developed her own artistic practice. In 2023, in collaboration with the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art, she received the ICOM award for her work Sun Worker, and in 2024, following her participation in the Youth Salon exhibition Situation, she was awarded a special recognition by the Croatian Association of Fine Artists for her work titled 11.
Stela Mikulin (b. 1996) is a visual artist and holds a Master’s degree in Art Education. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. She has participated in international projects such as ECO CURVE and Soundgate Zagreb, and was a participant in the fourth generation of the WHW Academy. She is the recipient of the Izidor Kršnjavi plaque awarded by the Department of Art History at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb.
Branimir Štivić (b. 1991, Cerić) He graduated in New Media from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (2021) and in Information and Software Engineering from the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin (2015). He has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions and is the recipient of the MSU professional award at the 37th Youth Salon and the Golden Watermelon 7.0 award.
***
The Takeover program provides art with the opportunity to “coexist” with the bustling everyday life of workspaces. In doing so, artistic works become active participants in the non-artistic world, blurring the sharp boundaries between the corporate and artistic sectors, while retaining their ever-present power to reshape our reality.
More about Takeover at: www.takeover.hdlu.hr
***
CreArt is a network of 13 medium-sized European cities aimed at exchanging experiences and best practices to promote contemporary art through a continuous transnational mobility program for emerging artists, curators, and cultural workers, in order to maximize the economic, social, and cultural contributions that creativity can bring to local communities. At the same time, CreArt 3.0 pushes boundaries beyond visual arts, empowering other artistic practices such as performing arts or music, and has also initiated a new collaboration with a non-governmental organization based in Lviv to support Ukrainian artists. The participating cities are: Kaunas, Liepaja, Skopje, Aveiro, Valladolid, Lublin, Venice, Clermont-Ferrand, Rouen, České Budějovice, Oulu, and Regensburg. The project includes 45 residency programs in 15 European cities, over 39 public events to celebrate the European Month of Creativity in 13 network cities, 13 educational programs to strengthen creativity and knowledge of contemporary art, 18 Street Art festivals, 10 annual festivals in galleries in 9 cities, and 6 European conferences and study visits.
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
CreArt 3.0 OPEN CALL: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE IN SKOPJE (MK) / 15/09 2025 to 15/10 2025
City of Skopje and Public cultural institution Cultural informative center (‘The Organisers’) are announcing an Open call for Artist in residence that will take place in Skopje in Cultural informative center from 15 of September until 15 of October 2025.
This Artist in Residence program is within of framework CreArt. Network of Cities for Artistic Creation, and it is consist of residence of 2 artists of younger generation: one artist from the cities within CreArt. Network of Cities for artistic creation city partner and one artist form Skopje, to be selected through this Open Call.
The CreArt Artist in residence in Skopje will take place at public cultural institution within of framework of City of Skopje Cultural Informative Center, located in the city center in Skopje from September, 15th 2025 to October 15th 2025
The Open call will be open until 10th of July.
WHO CAN APPLY?
- One Artists should be born or resident – in any of the cities taking part in ‘CreArt 3.0. Network of Cities for Artistic Creation: Aveiro [Portugal], Ceske Budejovice [Czech Republic], Kaunas [Lithuania], Liepaja [Latvia], Lublin [Poland], Oulu [Finland], Regensburg [Germany],Rouen and Clermont-Ferrand [France], Valladolid [Spain], Venice [Italy], members of Croatian Association of Fine Artists [HDLU]and Ukrainian artists thanks to cooperation with teh Lviv Art Council ‘Dialog’.
- One artist should be born or resident in Skopje – North Macedonia
- It is preferable to have a degree in a field of art (university level).
- Artists coming from the CreArt network, except artist from Skopje must have a valid travel (health) insurance policy, European health card or equivalent.
CONDITIONS AND GRANT
- The organization will cover travel expenses and accommodation, for the artist coming from Creart Netwok, subsistence cost up to 400 euros and will be covered materials for production of a work maximum of 500 euro.
- For the artist coming from Skopje The organization will cover local travel expenses and will cover materials for production of a work maximum of 500 euros
- Each artist will receive 325 € as presentation fee for the exhibition.
- The selected artist can use the space and equipment facility of Public cultural institution Cultural informative center.
- At the end of the residence an exhibition of two artist with the art work made during the residence will be organized in Cultural informative center.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
The applicants must provide within a one document PDF:
- ID or passport (scanned copy);
- A short version of your CV and a full; portfolio with art works.
- A short written project proposal (one side of A4).
- Graphic documentation related to the project proposal
Online application form: https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/
If you have any question please contact kultura@skopje.gov.mk
Deadline: Thursday, July, 10 th, 2025.
Only applications with complete information will be accepted. The artist will be selected by the local curators.
All participants will be informed after 20th of July. The shortlist will be published in the CreArt website.
The Participation in this call implies the acceptance of these conditions, and the artist selected should include then in their CV and in all future communications (press, digital media), that they have been selected to participate in the CreArt’s Artist in Residence in Skopje as a part of CreArt.Network of Cities for Artistic Creation, project co-funded by the European Union.
Cultural informative center (KIC) Is a public cultural institution within of network of institutions founded by City of Skopje.
Within it’s working activities more than half of the century Cultural informative center (KIC) daily continuous create cultural values, consumers, “addicts” of the created values, promotion and affirmation of Macedonian culture and art in Europe and in the world of :
Music – on the stage of the first and only chamber space, the cult chamber theatre “Salon 19’19” and all over Macedonia and Europe, organized and coordinated more than 2 000: chamber concerts, recitals, jazz concerts, sound carriers…
Theater – on the stage of the cult chamber theatre “Salon 19’19” ac drama performances, comedy, monodrama, children’s drama studios, were happening .
Fine Art – Known as First Art Gallery in Macedonia where art exhibitions, performances, art studios, graphic atelier and many macedonian and foreign artist had exhibition .
“KUL-PARK” – numerous multimedia projects, performances, concerts.
Literature – the Macedonian, European, worldly written word:
theater poetry, dramatic recitals, publishing of new literary editions in their own production, meetings with authors, monodrama presentations, critical reviews for authors, works and / or related themes, artistic performances of parts of works, as well as direct dialogue with consumers of this kind of art …
KIC organize also multimedia spectacles – cultural and historical manifestations – “DAYS OF YUSTINIAN”, public debates and debates on current social trends, seminars, information and other multimedia and multicultural events.
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
CreArt 3.0 OPEN CALL: AiR IN CHALET LECOQ – OCT. > DEC. 2025 CLERMONT-FERRAND, FRANCE
Residency from October 13 to December 15, 2025 in Clermont-Ferrand, France
Application deadline: July 5, 2025
As part of the CreArt network, the City of Clermont-Ferrand in France is organizing a two-month residency for 3 visual artists of younger generation at Chalet Lecoq. It will select 2 artists from the CreArt network and 1 from Clermont-Ferrand.
Chalet Lecoq
Both in the center of town and in an atypical location in the middle of a public garden, the Chalet Lecoq invites reflection on the relationship between nature and the urban, in a place frequented by residents of all ages (families, students, senior citizens…). The Chalet Lecoq is the former janitor’s house of the Jardin Lecoq, a park located in the heart of the city. The Chalet welcomes international artists in residency throughout the year. It offers a privileged setting, with a two-bedroom apartment and a fully-equipped workspace.
For this two-month residency, le Chalet Lecoq will host the two European artists for the accommodation and workspace, and the Clermont-Ferrand artist for the workspace.
RESIDENCY CONDITIONS
• residency grant: 3 000 € / artist for the two-month residency (1 500 € / month)
• production costs: 600 € / artist
• for European artists, reimbursement of round-trip travel expenses (up to 500 € )
• an end-of-residency presentation may be organized, in discussion with the artists hosted.
TO APPLY
• Being born or resident in one of the following cities: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), Skopje (Northern Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Rouen (France), Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic), Oulu (Finland), Regensburg (Germany) ;
• Members of Croatian Asociation of Fine Artists (HDLU)
• Application open to Ukrainian artists thanks to cooperation with the Lviv Art Council “Dialog”.
DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED IN ENGLISH
In a single PDF document:
• identity card or passport – and residency certificate if required
• a short version of your CV (one A4 page)
• an artist’s portfolio, recent and related to the project (maximum 10 pages and 10 images, you can include links)
• a short written project proposal (one A4 page) explaining why you would like to carry out a residency in Clermont-Ferrand and what this would bring to the artist’s work.
Applications must be submitted via the artists’ platform on the network’s website: https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JULY 5, midnight
Artists will be selected by a jury of Clermont-Ferrand contemporary art professionals. Particular attention will be paid to selecting artists whose work may reveal forms of connection.Announcement of selected candidates: July 18, 2025
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
CreArt 3.0 OPEN CALL: SHORT AiR WITHIN OPEN FORM FESTIVAL / LUBLIN 22-31 AUGUST
Open call for artistic residency in Lublin.
The city of Lublin invites two artists of younger generation to work creatively as part of the Open Form festival organized, among others, in the innovative artistic space – The Academy of Modern Art in Lublin. The artistic residency, which will last from August 22 to 31, 2025, is carried out as part of the Annual Festival, which is part of the CreArt 3.0 project, co-financed by the European Union’s Creative Europe program.
The Academy of Modern Art is a one-of-a-kind project, open to various forms of artistic expression: from murals, through music, to social activities. The Academy focuses on authenticity and inclusiveness, and its idea is community – created by people with passion. More info
RESIDENCY DURATION: 10 days
RESIDENCY DATES: August 22-31, 2025
DADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: June 30, 2025
WHO CAN APPLY?
- Artists o younger generation born or residing in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen (France), Regensburg (Germany), České Budějovice (Czech Republic) and Oulu (Finland).
- Members of HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Arts).
- Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue».
We invite artists of younger generation working in the field of visual arts, with particular emphasis on practices related to public space: graffiti, street art, murals, installations, typography and site-specific activities. We are interested in works created at the intersection of disciplines, combining different media, techniques and perspectives, also from the area of graphic design, photography, text and performative activities.
We are looking for people who engage in dialogue with their surroundings, work sensitively towards the context of the place and are open to cooperation with the local community. The works may have the character of interventions, urban collages or ephemeral activities, and their form and location will be determined jointly during curatorial talks. It is possible to create works both before and during the event.
GRANT AND CONDITIONS
- Artist fee of 700 EUR/gross (The remuneration will be transferred within 21 days after the end of the residency).
- Production cost (if needed) of new artwork(s) up to 300 EUR/gross.
- The organizer provides reimbursement of travel costs (return flight or bus tickets from the partner city), accommodation and meals (two meals a day).
- The artists will sign a contract with City of Lublin before the start of the residency.
- The artists must have a European health card or equivalent.
DOCUMENTS
The following attached documentation is required in a single PDF document:
- Identity card or passport (scanned).
- Any kind of document proving you connection with the partner city of CreArt network.
- A short version of your resume/CV (one A4).
- Portfolio of works and artistic activity (maximum 10 pages i 10 pictures, links can be included).
- A short written project proposal (one A4) and a letter explaining why would you like to take part in AiR in Lublin. This document should also contain a list of technical needs and other relevant technical details, which can help the organization to understand the project.
APPLICATION
- The online application form is available here: https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/ (artists should register first and then upload portfolio in this link). Also, please send your application to: creart3.0@lublin.eu, with the subject: open call Lublin.
- Deadline: applications should be sent by June 30, 2025.
Only complete and timely applications will be considered. Artists will be selected by a jury of Lublin contemporary art professionalists. The committee is not obliged to provide reasons for its decision. The shortlist will be published on the CreArt website on July 7, 2025. The participation in this call implies the acceptance of these bases, and the artists selected should include a reference in all their future communications that they have been selected to participate in the CreArt Artists in Residence program in Lublin, project co-funded by the European Union – Creative Europe program.
In case of any questions, please contact: creart3.0@lublin.eu.
CITY OF LUBLIN
Lublin is a medium-sized city in eastern Poland. It is a thriving scientific and cultural center. Considered a city at the crossroads of Eastern and Western culture, in the past it had an international character, with a large Jewish population living here. Lublin is home to numerous cultural institutions, museums and galleries, as well as non-governmental organizations that animate cultural life. There are large festivals such as Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, Night of Culture, East Of Culture – Different Sounds and others. Lublin is competing for the title of European Capital of Culture 2029.
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
CreArt 3.0 OPEN CALL: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE IN FONDAZIONE BEVILACQUA LA M ASA IN VENICE.
The Istituzione Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa announces a call for applications to assign two young artists a space in Venice (at Palazzo Carminati in San Stae) where they can study and work for a period of five weeks: from 8 September – 10 October 2025.
The artist residency programme is part of the European project CreArt 3.0 #stringing_together. Creart 3.0 is a project funded under the Creative Europe Programme. 13 European cities will be involved in the exchange of experiences and good practices to promote contemporary art in all its forms: visual, performing and musical.
ELIGIBILITY
To participate, applicants must:
– be between 18 and 40 years of age on the deadline date of this call
– be born, resident or domiciled in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand (France), České Budějovice (Czech Republic) and Oulu (Finland), Regensburg (Germany) or be
– Artists-members of HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Artists);
– Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Public Organization Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue».
Applications must be strictly individual. Submissions from artist collectives will not be accepted.
DOCUMENTS
Registration is carried out on the CreArt website to this link: https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/
- The following documents must be uploaded to the applications:
- Photocopy of a valid identity document;
- Any kind of document proving your connection with the city of the Creart 3.0 network and/or self-certification proving your domicile or residence in one of the 13 cities listed above;
- A short CV and a portfolio of a maximum of ten pages, not exceeding 10 MB in size and digital, highlighting in particular the work carried out over the last year, accompanied by a detailed CV, texts, publications and videos. The application must be accompanied by a motivational letter explaining the project to be developed in the city in relation also to the use of the prize money.
- The concept of the project the applicant will realise if selected for the CreArt 3.0 residency.
The documentation must be received no later than 12 pm on 27 June 2025.
The applications will be assessed by an internal jury of the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa Institution.
PRIZE
Each artist will receive a prize of 5000 € gross. The prize awarded for the residency is to be considered all-inclusive of any expenses incurred, including the production of a work.
The guest houses are located in Palazzo Carminati, top floor, Santa Croce 1882, not accessible to the disabled. (Download information on the guest quarters https://bit.ly/guesthousesBLM)
At the end of the residency there will be a presentation of the work produced, the costs of which are to be considered entirely included in the 5000 € gross fee.
The list of beneficiaries will be available on the Institution’s website on 31 July 2025.
The data provided will be processed in compliance with the provisions of Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003, “Personal Data Protection Code” and subsequent decrees.
The documentation accompanying the requests will not be returned.
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
CreArt 3.0 OPEN CALL: PARTICIPATION IN EPEHEMERA FESTIVAL IN VALLADOLID SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2025
CALL FOR EPMERAL INTERVENTIONS UNDER EPHEMERA PHESTIVAL
EPHEMERA PHESTIVAL is the initiative of CreArt Valladolid and Cultura Valladolid to present Contemporary Art in the public space, and it will be developed this edition between 15 September – 5 October.
Ephemeral site-specifical interventions are understood to include performing arts, visual arts, or plastic arts, including theater, dance, performance, installations, video creation, music, graphic arts, muralism, as well as the intersection of any of these languages within a single installation that interacts with the space or the audience.
One project will be selected and will receive a honorarium of €800 + up to €700 in production fees (including taxes). Travel expenses (up to €600) and accommodation for a maximum of 7 days will also be covered.
The final location of the selected proposals will be the decision of the organizers. The proposed project intervention must be appropriate to the spatial characteristics of each location and may not, under any circumstances, harm the buildings, facilities, or the architectural and urban context of the area. Proposals that include discriminatory attitudes toward groups will be excluded. The materials, stability, and durability must be durable at least for the duration of the event (the actions and interventions must take place between September 15 and October 5). The work must guarantee its self-sustainability, longevity, and weather resistance, as well as respect the environment.
WHO CAN APPLY?
This Open Call is open to professional artists of younger generation within the Creart 3.0:
– Artists born, resident or domiciled in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand (France), České Budějovice (Czech Republic) and Oulu (Finland), Regensburg (Germany)
– Artists-members of HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Artists);
– Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Public Organization Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue».
APPLICATION AND DOCUMENTATION
Applications must be submitted before Sunday, June 22nd (23:59h), using the online form in the call section of the website https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/
Interested artists must attach a portfolio (PDF document only) with the following documentation and a description of their proposal: Scanned photocopy of ID or registration certificate CV Project concept and development (maximum 5 pages), detailing the technique, materials and equipment required, execution and proposed location, and estimated budget Graphic material about the proposal and other previous work If you have any problems completing your application, you can send the portfolio directly to creart@fmcva.org
JURY AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Once the registration period has closed, the CreArt Valladolid artistic committee will evaluate the submitted proposals based on the following criteria: creative and innovative proposal, technical feasibility of the project for its production, execution, and sustainability, adaptation of the proposal to surfaces and spaces with different characteristics, integration of the artistic project into the space, and community participation.
DECISION AND EXECUTION OF THE ARTISTIC INTERVENTION
The decision will be announced before Friday, July 4th, on the CreArt website, and all participants will be notified by email. Participants will have one month to develop and produce the final project at the location selected by the organization. The selected artists and/or collectives will execute their projects between September 15th and October 5th, once the final proposal has been approved and all necessary permits have been obtained.
ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES
Registration for the call implies acceptance of these rules, as well as the organization’s recognition of the right to resolve any issues not covered herein. Failure to comply with any of the requirements listed in the rules will automatically exclude the artist from the selection process.
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
CreArt 3.0 OPEN CALL: AiR PROGRAM IN ROUEN (FR) FROM 6-31 OCTOBER 2025.
As part of its participation in the European CreArt program, the City of Rouen is launching a joint residency for two artists, one artist living and working in Rouen and one artist of younger generation from the network, at «Centre Culturel André-Malraux», from October, 06 to October, 31 2025.
The Centre André-Malraux
The André-Malraux Centre is a municipal structure, located on the place “de la Grand- Mare”, whose aim is to welcome all residents of the districts without distinction of
age, social or cultural origin, and to offer spaces for meetings and activities allowing the participation of residents. Its missions are:
– The organization of municipal artistic and cultural activities,
– Welcoming and supporting artists and cultural associations,
– The organization and running of cultural projects involving the neighborhood’s residents,
– Hosting cultural or artistic events.
AiR Rouen /CreArt program
Within the framework of CreArt 3.0, the City of Rouen is launching a cross residency for 2 artists, one from Rouen and one from the Creart network, and will take place as part of “Automne Curieux”, a cultural event dedicated to the visual arts, and supported by the City of Rouen. The artists will be guided and shown around by members of the André-Malraux Cultural Center. They will make them discover cultural places and organize events to introduce them in the local artist’s community and the neighborhood (workshops, openings).
The residency will have the theme of “happy futures”. It will switch between periods of individual research and creation and period of collaborative works, involving teenagers,
through workshops during the school holidays. The workshops will have to be carried out with the Rouen artist also selected for this joint residency.
Provisional schedule:
– The first two weeks of the residency will be dedicated to individual research and creation and getting to know one another.
– During the last two weeks of the residency, which will take place during the school holidays, five two-hours workshops will be held to create the collective work(s).
– During the residency, an open studio event and a final presentation of the work will be organized.
The collective work(s) will remain at Malraux. The artists may take back the pieces resulting from their individual research.
The CreArt artist will have a studio to share with the artist from Rouen, and will be able to stay in an apartment during the residency. Accommodation will be in a private
room in a shared apartment.
Conditions and Stipend
The organization will cover, for both artists, the material costs (up to 400€), subsistence costs (500€) and will provide 1000€ as artist’s fee.
The city of Rouen also covers travel costs to Rouen [up to €500] and accommodation (Anatole France apartment in Rouen).
Who can apply?
The residence is open to professional artists (art and design degree) of younger generation within the Creart 3.0:
– Artists born, resident or domiciled in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand (France), České Budějovice (Czech Republic) and Oulu (Finland), Regensburg (Germany)
– Artists-members of HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Artists);
– Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Public Organization Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue».
This call is intended to professional visual artists with a wild range of medium: drawing, engraving, illustration, video, installation, collage, new media, painting,
performance, photography, sculpture, design, textile, graphics, micro-editing. For logistical and security reasons, monumental creation cannot be offered and spray paint is not permitted. A particular attention will be paid to artists who interrogate the environmental impact of artistic production in their work.
Documents to be submitted in English in https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/:
– A CV
– A portfolio [with technical specifications, representative artworks and pictures. Links can be included];
– A short written project proposal. This document should also contain a list of technical needs and other relevant technical details, which can help the organization
to understand the project.
– ID or passport (scanned copy)
The applications must be submitted before Sunday, June 15, 2025
Only applications with complete information will be accepted. The City of Rouen will inform of the results by the end of June.
More informations:
· Creart : https://creart2-eu.org
· Ville de Rouen: https://rouen.fr/creart
Dorothée Paroielle, Cultural Projects and Audience Development : dorothée.paroielle@rouen.fr 02 35 08 88 99
& Fanny Laurent, Responsable du Centre André-Malraux : fanny.laurent@rouen.fr
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
KARAS+KVART: ART IN PUBLIC SPACE 2025
Following a highly successful edition in 2024, the Croatian Association of Fine Artists (HDLU) continues with its program KARAS + KVART as part of the EU project CreART 3.0. This innovative artist-in-residence initiative connects a local and an international artist, acknowledging the need to redefine and co-create a new cultural identity for the neighborhood surrounding Karas Gallery – HDLU’s long-standing exhibition space for contemporary art, which has operated from Kralja Zvonimira 58 since 2018, following many years at Praška 4.
In 2024, the program brought together Luana Lojić (HR) and Karl Iaro (DE), who, during a three-week residency in Zagreb, explored the broader context of Karas Gallery with a focus on the nearby Kvatrić market and the multifunctional building above it. There, on the second floor, they established an experimental platform called Transparency Agency, through which they examined the potential of public space, the coexistence of diverse building users, and the role of art in shaping a shared future.
Through a series of workshops, guided tours, performances, and exhibitions – including participation in the Reli po galerijama gallery crawl – the project became a convergence point for art, urbanism, community, and speculative spatial thinking. Karas Gallery served as both the starting point and an expanded platform for reflection and documentation of neighborhood life.
For KARAS+KVART 2025, the program will feature Petar Vranjković (HR) and Daniel Merkulov (UA), the latter selected via an international open call.
This year, the program takes a step further, spotlighting Petar Vranjković, a transmedia artist exploring narratives of personal and collective memory, and Daniel Merkulov, a music producer and multi-instrumentalist developing a unique fusion of contemporary music and artistic expression. The two will spend two weeks investigating the gallery’s neighborhood, resulting in a new public artwork or intervention, open to the public in October 2025.
Petar Vranjković (b. 1997) is a transmedia artist and researcher whose work incorporates archival materials, photography, video, print, and design. He holds a master’s degree in Animation and New Media from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. His work focuses on memory-making and narrative building through artistic means, often centering on the intimate history of individuals as a way of interpreting a community’s heritage, traditions, and cultural identity. His solo exhibitions include shows at Kamba, Zagreb (2024); the Vjenceslav Richter and Nada Kareš Richter Collection, Zagreb (2023); and Miroslav Kraljević Gallery, Zagreb (2022). His work has been featured at the 42nd Split Salon and the 36th Youth Salon in Zagreb.
Daniel Merkulov (b. 1989) is an experienced multi-instrumentalist and music producer with extensive experience in composing, producing, and arranging music for films, commercials, and international music platforms. He is the founder of the independent label Digital Downshifting, through which he has released multiple albums, and is active as a DJ and producer in various projects. He runs his own music studio where he collaborates with local musicians to develop a distinctive sound blending electronic music with classical elements. He holds a degree in Physics from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and completed classical guitar studies at Kyiv Music School No. 6.
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
CreArt 3.0: TAKEOVER
TAKEOVER
European Month of Creativity
Curator: Antonela Solenički
Artists: Marlen Ban, Sanda Črnelč, Josip Kresović, Stela Mikulin, Branimir Štivić
For this year’s European Month of Creativity, the Croatian Association of Fine Artists, within the EU project CreART 3.0, has organized a small festival of contemporary art in business premises—TAKEOVER.
Emerging artists (Marlen Ban, Sanda Črnelč, Josip Kresović, Stela Mikulin, Branimir Štivić), selected by the curator Antonela Solenički, will “take over” spaces within recognized companies operating in or related to the fields of cultural and creative industries, like Brigada, Grupa, Intera or architectural studio Randić and Associates.
During the artwork selection process, the curator considered both the typologies of the spaces encountered in the project and the production of content within those spaces, aiming to establish a content-related interaction between the artistic projects presented and the employees who will encounter these projects on a daily basis.
The artists will exhibit their work in the companies and present it to the employees. Each intervention will also be presented to the public through open-door events and conversations with the artist.
ARTISTIC INTERVENTIONS:
MARLEN BAN, No Time for a Revolution, 2025
No Time for a Revolution questions the current state of society through the statement Nobody is going to start a revolution. This seemingly passive message opens space for a critique of the status quo, in which systemic control, censorship, and the normalization of authoritarian practices erode faith in the possibility of change.
The work oscillates between personal reflection and collective uncertainty, questioning why – despite access to information and technology – we remain passive in the face of injustice and dehumanization. It does not call for revolution, but for contemplation: why does revolution feel so distant?
Without taking a direct political stance, the aim is to prompt the viewer to reconsider power, identity, and everyday passivity, and to open a space for critical dialogue about social norms we often take for granted.
Artwork detail No Time for a Revolution, by Marlen Ban
SANDA ČRNELČ, I Discovered Something Between Two Bricks, 2025
Space and object—motifs that conceptually link the artist’s previous works—have initiated the development of a new idea that visually leans toward the abstraction of form, while conceptually driven by a desire for self-reflection. By moving away from the brick as a material, she explores the visual potential of color and volume, aiming to question her own fear of occupying space.
Artwork detail I Discovered Something Between Two Bricks, by Sanda Črnelč
JOSIP KRESOVIĆ, Ti si bija baš sritno dite (You Really Were a Happy Kid), 2025
The spatial installation You Really Were a Happy Kid is a collection of materialized sensory memories from a moment in childhood. At the same time, it is a record of nervous gestures, of the ritual of cleaning, scratching, peeling. A channel for anxious energy that is released pathologically, because no one ever showed it where to go.
It is also about music you can’t hear—perhaps best evoked through the visceral reaction of the body and mind when you catch the scent of a long-forgotten perfume and shivers rush over you.
The starting point of the work is an event, chronologically blurred, yet so vividly etched. There is singing. It’s hot. You are being watched. Fingers in your pockets try to reach your thigh bone. The skin resists. It burns. You don’t feel it. You’re fine.
Artwork detail Ti si bija baš sritno dite (You Really Were a Happy Kid), by Josip Kresović
STELA MIKULIN, Intimate Dialogue, 2025
In the absence of real dialogue, where a meeting has not yet been possible, the need arose to nonetheless create a space — to shape it as an open possibility, as a preparation, as a silence that anticipates speech. This phase of the project Intimate Dialogue does not arise from the certainty of a finished form, but from the process of an uncertain search for an approach, for a language that would not harm, for a space that could truly be shared.
The work consists of two levels:
On a tactile platform, placed in the space as a physical object, questions are inscribed that deliberately remain open and undefined. They are not posed to steer the conversation in a specific direction, but are shaped to invite future participants — migrants — to define the themes, needs, and ways of communication themselves. This platform does not function as a representation of an existing dialogue, but as its announcement, its quiet anticipation. In this way, a position of power is avoided, and instead, a framework is created that can, in future live encounters, be transformed according to what the community wishes to share.
Jean-Luc Nancy speaks of being-in-encounter (être-en-rencontre) — a state in which the subject is not yet complete, but is shaped in anticipation of a relationship. It is precisely this phase of pre-encounter, where the “other” is not yet present, but whose presence is felt as necessity and hope, that forms the core of this platform. It materializes anticipation, but does not dare to speak on behalf of the other. It does not question, does not offer answers, does not interpret — it waits.
The analogue segment of the work, extending through space as a series of handcrafted fragments — poetic questions, illustrations, and photocollages — reflects the internal process of the author: her thoughts, doubts, fears, and questions that arise in the attempt to shape a work that does not speak in place of others. These questions are not posed to be answered; they are traces of a personal process, self-inquiry, a confrontation with one’s own gaze and position. In them, one recognizes the awareness of the boundary between one’s own perception and the experience of others.
The platform, in its silence, remains a functional structure, creating the conditions for an encounter that is yet to come.
Artwork detail Intimate Dialogue, by Stela Mikulin
BRANIMIR ŠTIVIĆ, DOTWORK [256x320px], 2025
The work DOTWORK [256x320px] is a generative video installation composed of low-resolution LED screen modules. By integrating video displays into material, three-dimensional objects made from aluminum structures and 3D-printed plastic—onto which the LED modules and electronics are mounted—I explore the physicality of the pixel and its “invisibility” within the framework of consumer electronics.
By layering multiple monochromatic visuals and employing dithering and dot-based algorithms, the piece generates a low-resolution image that examines the graphic potential of point-based raster patterns. The 3mm spacing between individual pixels, commonly used in advertising panels, is significantly larger than that of modern smartphone, computer, or smartwatch screens. This allows for the original medium of light to be perceived as a constructive element of the display, functioning simultaneously as ambient lighting within the surrounding space.
Artwork detail DOTWORK [256x320px], by Branimir Štivić
About the curator:
Antonela Solenički is an independent curator and researcher. She holds a degree in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies from NABA in Milan, and a bachelor’s degree in Art History and Spanish Language and Literature, which she studied in Zagreb. As part of the NOVAci project, developed in collaboration between WHW and Pogon, she curated the exhibition At the Tip of the Tongue (2022) at Gallery Nova in Zagreb. She is currently working as a curator at the Miroslav Kraljević Gallery in Zagreb.
About the artists:
Marlen Ban (b. 1999) earned her undergraduate degree at the Department of Animation and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. She is currently completing her studies in Public Administration at the Faculty of Law in Zagreb. As of May 2025, she is undertaking a professional internship at the Office of the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality. She works as a production assistant at the Miroslav Kraljević Gallery and leads art workshops at the Association and Club Zajedno, within the Sveti Ivan Psychiatric Hospital. Through her artistic practice, she explores social and personal relationships, as well as her own emotional states and fears. Using site-specific installations, she examines the ideas of space and the people within it. She has participated in group and solo exhibitions in Croatia and abroad, including No More ‘I’m Sorry’ (Miroslav Kraljević Gallery, 2023), the 37th Youth Salon, Situation (AMZ Gallery, 2024), and Amore ist gone (Karas Gallery, 2025). She is a recipient of the 19th Erste Fragments scholarship and received a special mention from the jury at the 37th Youth Salon.
Sanda Črnelč (b. 1997, Zagreb) graduated in 2023 from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Croatia, Department of Art Education, painting program, in the class of Assistant Professor Marko Tadić, Art.D. She is an active member of the artistic community in Croatia and abroad, with several solo exhibitions and participation in numerous group projects. She is the recipient of the Rector’s Award for a group artistic project during the 2017/2018 academic year at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb, and the Chinese Government Scholarship for the 2019/2020 academic year, through which she spent a year at the China Academy of Art as part of the IMFA program. In 2024, she was part of the sixth generation of participants in the WHW Academy. Through a procedural artistic practice, she seeks to delve into the complex relationship between matter and concept, exploring the states and spaces that exist between the initial idea and its realization.
Josip Kresović (b. 1992, Zadar) is an interdisciplinary artist and psychologist. In 2018, he earned his master’s degree in psychology from the University of Zadar, specializing in the psychology of art, with a focus on visual-aesthetic sensitivity and the relationship between art and mood. Alongside his studies, he developed his own artistic practice, exploring personal iconography as a means to investigate the relationship between the environment and the individual, and how that relationship can influence personality formation. His work spans various media, including sculpture, collage, installation, and performance. Since 2017, he has exhibited and performed both independently and in group shows across Croatia. On two occasions, he received support from the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia for visual artists (Roller, 2021, and To Swim Like You No One Can, 2023). In 2023, in collaboration with the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art, he was awarded the ICOM Prize for his work Sun Worker. In 2024, following his participation in the Youth Salon’s Situation exhibition, he received a special recognition from the Croatian Association of Visual Artists for his piece titled 11. He is also actively engaged in stage and graphic design.
Stela Mikulin (b. 1996) is a visual artist and holds a Master’s degree in Art Education. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, and her work focuses on themes of identity, memory, and space. She has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad, including projects such as Poetics of Place and Archive of the Absent, as well as festivals like Trienal Tres Pesos in Mexico. She has participated in international projects such as ECO CURVE and Soundgate Zagreb, and was a member of the fourth generation of the WHW Academy. She is a recipient of the Izidor Kršnjavi Plaque awarded by the Department of Art History at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb.
Branimir Štivić (b. 1991, Cerić) graduated in New Media from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (2021) and in Information and Software Engineering from the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin (2015). His artistic work focuses on sound and light installations, audiovisual performances, live cinema, expanded cinema performances, programmed art, industrial technologies, and sound for contemporary dance. He has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions and has received the professional award from the Museum of Contemporary Art at the 37th Youth Salon, as well as the Golden Watermelon 7.0 award.
His works stem from a deep interest in the physicality of media and materials, as well as their interrelations within the contemporary technosphere and the Anthropocene. Through the development of various methods of industrial production, human labor, technology, programming code, video, and sound, he opens up new spaces for multidisciplinary research. He places particular emphasis on the physicality of pixels and contemporary LED technology, as well as the transcription of digital works into natural and synthetic materials such as wood, metal, and plastic.
***
The Takeover program provides art with the opportunity to “coexist” with the bustling everyday life of workspaces. In doing so, artistic works become active participants in the non-artistic world, blurring the sharp boundaries between the corporate and artistic sectors, while retaining their ever-present power to reshape our reality.
For locations and dates for public art talks follow HDLU social media pages and official Takeover program website: www.takeover.hdlu.hr
***
CreArt is a network of 13 medium-sized European cities aimed at exchanging experiences and best practices to promote contemporary art through a continuous transnational mobility program for emerging artists, curators, and cultural workers, in order to maximize the economic, social, and cultural contributions that creativity can bring to local communities. At the same time, CreArt 3.0 pushes boundaries beyond visual arts, empowering other artistic practices such as performing arts or music, and has also initiated a new collaboration with a non-governmental organization based in Lviv to support Ukrainian artists. The participating cities are: Kaunas, Liepaja, Skopje, Aveiro, Valladolid, Lublin, Venice, Clermont-Ferrand, Rouen, České Budějovice, Oulu, and Regensburg. The project includes 45 residency programs in 15 European cities, over 39 public events to celebrate the European Month of Creativity in 13 network cities, 13 educational programs to strengthen creativity and knowledge of contemporary art, 18 Street Art festivals, 10 annual festivals in galleries in 9 cities, and 6 European conferences and study visits.
Within the project:
Co-funded by:
Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 101128499]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
CreArt 3.0 OPEN CALL: HDLU LAUNCHES ART IN PUBLIC SPACE 2025: KARAS+KVART (ZAGREB)
