Call for Submissions - Havens Hybrid Collective Art Exhibition by Kulturnest

Kulturnest calls artists in Lebanon and abroad to submit works for "Havens", a hybrid collective exhibition inviting you to trace the small shelters we cling to in uncertain times, and to make them visible through art.

Theme

Between economic crisis, social tensions, war, and uncertainty, many of us cling to small havens: a plant on the balcony, the quiet corner of a room, a light through a window, the hum of a generator, a cherished object, a memory, a digital message. Sometimes the haven is not a thing but a relationship - a neighbour who checks in, a shared meal, a late-night phone call, a group chat that stays alive, a pet, a child’s drawing on the fridge.

Kulturnest invites artists to explore these fragile shelters of survival, hope, intimacy, and memory. Real or imagined, joyful or melancholic, these havens shape how we endure, resist, and dream.

Havens can be:

Spaces: rooms, balconies, rooftops, stairwells, corners of the city, imaginary interiors.
Objects & rituals: cups, plants, tools, furniture, favourite clothes, cooking, prayer, games, music.
Bodies & relationships: gestures of care, shared sleep, embraces, friendships, intergenerational bonds.
Digital presences: group chats, voice notes, pinned messages, photos, screens that connect or isolate.
Inner landscapes: daydreams, memories, fantasies of elsewhere, imagined futures.

Artists are free to respond in any mood - tender, ironic, dark, or playful. The question is simple and open: What shelters you, even briefly, when everything outside feels unstable - and how can art make these havens visible, shareable, and maybe inhabitable by others?

Accepted Media & Formats

All media are accepted - from painting to image, from poetry to music, from object to digital, from analogue to hybrid - as long as the work resonates with the theme. AI-generated artworks with human-infused intention/guidance/creativity are also accepted.

Accepted formats:

1. For wall-hung works: max 100 × 150 cm per piece. Works exceeding these must be approved in advance.
2. For 3D / free-standing/object-based works: max dimensions 60 (width) × 60 (depth) × 150 cm (height). Works exceeding these must be approved in advance.
3. For digital works (online-only or hybrid): Maximum image size 1600 x 1600 px / MP4 videos max. size 8 MB).

Two Modes of Participation

Hybrid: (physical gallery, online catalogue + virtual exhibition) - USD 125.

Virtual-only: (online catalogue + virtual exhibition) - USD 100.

Artist Engagement (Shared Responsibilities)

In return for our curatorial, logistical, and promotional support, we ask each selected artist to:

Invite family, friends, and network to attend the exhibition’s opening night. To the artists who do not reside in Lebanon, invitations should be extended to explore the virtual exhibition.

In addition to the exhibition’s opening night, visit Kulturnest a minimum of once during the exhibition time if residing in Lebanon.

Share the exhibition’s announcements + visuals/videos/stories on their social media (before & during the exhibition). Tag Kulturnest on Instagram and/or Facebook so we can reshare your posts/stories.

This helps ensure collective visibility and presence, increasing chances of sales and audience engagement.

How to Apply?

Please submit the information requested below to hello@kulturnest.com by January 30, 2026. Your email should be titled: "Havens Exhibition Application". 

Your application must include:

• Artist Full Name
• Social Media Links (URLs, not only usernames)
• WhatsApp Contact Number (including the country code)
• Artist Biography (max. 250 words) – CVs are not accepted
• Artist Portrait, preferably while creating or in one's atelier, black and white, square format, JPG or PNG, 1600 x 1600 px. Do not exceed 2 MB.
• Up to 5 High-Resolution Images (1600 x 1600 px, JPG or PNG, each image should not exceed 1 MB) of relevant artworks with their detailed descriptions (title, art technique, medium/material, dimensions in cm, weight in grams, production year/narrative statement about the artwork, your asking price**). For videos of music, poetry recitation, or short movies: MP4 via WeTransfer (each video should not exceed 8 MB). Ensure that your images and videos are labeled with the titles of your artworks for easy identification. Kulturnest will then select up to 3 of these works per artist, based on how well they fit the theme and the overall curatorial plan. 
• Indicate which display you are applying for: hybrid or virtual only.
  
  ** Kulturnest will add a 35% commission on sales to your asking price + 11% VAT, which the client is responsible for paying. 

To help you write your biography and artwork descriptions (format and content), examples are found in our previous exhibition: https://kulturnest.com/collections/aftermaths-exhibition 

PAYMENT & AGREEMENT SIGNING DEADLINE:

Upon receiving Kulturnest's acceptance email by February 10, 2026, non-refundable fees must be settled by February 15, 2026, along with signing our Kulturnest-Artist agreement:

Cash payment in-person at Kulturnest, Wednesdays to Saturdays, 3 to 6 PM | or via Whish Wallet under the name of Pamela Chrabieh - 03008245 (artists should pay the additional 1% for withdrawal fees, e.g., $100 + 1% or 125$ + 1%).

For International Artists: Via OMT/Western Union or by Bank Transfer (artists are responsible for the transfer & withdrawal fees).

Failure to complete the total payment and sign the agreement by the specified deadline will result in the termination of the collaboration.

KEY DATES:

Submission Deadline: January 30, 2026.
Selection Announcements by email + notification by WhatsApp: by February 10, 2026 [check your spam folder]
Payment & Agreement Signing Deadline: by February 15, 2026
Selected Physical Artworks Delivery to Kulturnest: April 16, 18, and 19, from 3 to 6 PM
Exhibition Launch: April 25, 6 to 9 pm
Physical exhibition on view: Ongoing from April 29 to June 18, Wednesdays to Saturdays, 3 to 6 pm, except for holidays
Virtual exhibition on view: starting April 25 - ongoing
Artworks Pick-up from Kulturnest: Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20, 2025, 3 to 6 PM

We look forward to receiving your submissions and embarking on this journey together!
+9613008245 (Dr. Pamela Chrabieh, Kulturnest CEO & Co-Founder)