Call for Submissions - THRESHOLDS Collective Art Exhibition by Kulturnest

Kulturnest calls artists in Lebanon and abroad to submit works for “THRESHOLDS”, a collective art exhibition curated by Dr. Pamela Chrabieh - Kulturnest co-founder & CEO - inviting artists to explore the spaces, moments, and emotional states that exist between what has ended and what has not yet begun.

Theme

After Havens, which explored the fragile shelters we build, remember, imagine, and carry within us in times of instability and war, THRESHOLDS opens a new question: what happens when we stand at the edge of crossing?

A threshold is not only a doorway. It can be a border, a pause, a wound, a limit, a passage, a beginning, or a point of no return. It is the space between inside and outside, silence and speech, shelter and exposure, memory and transformation, fear and movement, rupture and return, intimate/personal and public/collective.

In the current context of war, displacement, uncertainty, and exhaustion in Lebanon, the region, and beyond, many of us find ourselves living in-between: between staying and leaving, grief and rebuilding, attachment and release, survival and renewal. Thresholds may be physical, emotional, political, spiritual, domestic, symbolic, or imagined.

Kulturnest invites artists to reflect on these charged in-between spaces. What do we carry before crossing? What keeps us from moving forward? What must be left behind? What forms of care, resistance, imagination, and courage become possible at the edge?

Thresholds can be (but are not limited to):

Spaces: doors, windows, balconies, corridors, borders, ruins, staircases, homes, cities, checkpoints, gardens, imagined passages.

Bodies & emotions: hesitation, fear, courage, grief, desire, exhaustion, transformation, waiting, return.

Objects & rituals: keys, suitcases, letters, clothing, family objects, prayer, farewell gestures, repeated daily acts.

Collective realities: migration, displacement, war, memory, reconstruction, protest, belonging, exile, survival.

Inner landscapes: dreams, memories, imagined futures, personal turning points, invisible crossings.

Artists are free to respond in any mood: intimate, poetic, political, symbolic, critical, tender, dark, playful, or experimental. The central question is open: What does it mean to stand at a threshold, and how can art make that moment visible?

Accepted Media & Formats

All media are accepted, as long as the work resonates with the theme.

Accepted media may include painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, installation, textile, mixed media, object-based work, digital art, poetry, music, video, sound, and other forms of artistic expression. AI-generated artworks with human-infused intention, guidance, and creativity are also accepted.

Accepted formats:

1. For wall-hung works: max. 100 × 150 cm per piece. Works exceeding these dimensions must be approved in advance.
2. For 3D / free-standing/object-based works: max. dimensions 60 cm width × 60 cm depth × 150 cm height. Works exceeding these dimensions must be approved in advance.
3. For digital, video, poetry, music, or sound works: files must be submitted in a format suitable for online catalogue display, depending on the final curatorial selection.

Kulturnest will select up to 3 works per artist, based on how well they fit the theme and the overall curatorial plan.

Exhibition Format & Participation Fee

Physical exhibition at Kulturnest + online catalogue: USD 150 per selected artist.

The exhibition will take place physically at Kulturnest, Sin-el-Fil, Lebanon. An online catalogue/exhibition collection will also be published on Kulturnest’s website, allowing wider access to the selected artists, artworks, descriptions, and prices.

Online catalogue/exhibition collection only: USD 100 per selected artist.

More than a static display, the online catalogue or exhibition collection allows visitors to explore each artist’s profile, read the stories and details behind the artworks, and purchase selected pieces directly online, with worldwide shipping available in just a few clicks.

Optional Paid Visibility Services for Selected Artists

Selected artists for THRESHOLDS may benefit from optional paid visibility and communication services, in addition to the basic participation fee. These services are not mandatory and can be selected according to each artist’s needs and objectives.

• Written Interview Feature on Kulturnest Website — USD 150
  A dedicated written interview published on kulturnest.com, presenting the artist’s practice, background, creative process, and selected works.

• Individual Social Media Feature + 1-Week Advertisement — USD 150
  A dedicated post on Kulturnest’s Instagram and Facebook pages, featuring the artist and selected artwork(s), with a one-week paid advertisement to increase reach and visibility.

• Artist Reel / Short Video Feature — USD 500
  A short edited video or reel introducing the artist’s work, process, or exhibited pieces, published on Kulturnest’s social media channels.

• Post-Exhibition Blog Feature — USD 300
  A reflective article published after the exhibition, focusing on the artist’s participation, exhibited works, and creative journey.

Note: These services are designed to enhance visibility, storytelling, networking, and exposure. They do not guarantee sales, media coverage, or specific commercial outcomes.

Artist Engagement - Shared Responsibilities

In return for Kulturnest’s curatorial, logistical, and promotional support, each selected artist is asked to:

• Invite family, friends, collectors, and their network to attend the opening night and to visit the exhibition throughout its duration.
• Attend the opening night and visit Kulturnest at least once during the exhibition period if residing in Lebanon.
• Share the exhibition’s announcements, visuals, videos, and stories on social media before and during the exhibition.
• Tag Kulturnest on Instagram and/or Facebook so we can reshare posts and stories.
  
  This helps ensure collective visibility and presence, increasing the chances of sales, networking, and audience engagement.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit the information requested below to hello@kulturnest.com by August 15, 2026.

Your email should be titled:

“THRESHOLDS Exhibition Application”

Your application must include:

• Indicate if full participation or online catalogue only
• Artist full name
• Social media links - URLs, not only usernames
• WhatsApp contact number, including country code
• Artist biography in the 3rd person, 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 × 1600 px, max. 2 MB
• Up to 5 high-resolution images of relevant artworks, 1600 × 1600 px, JPG or PNG, each image max. 1 MB
• Detailed descriptions for each submitted artwork: title, technique, medium/material, dimensions in cm, weight in grams if applicable, production year, artwork statement/narrative (the story), and asking price (information included in the email body or in a Google Doc/Word Doc -- no PDFs)
• For video, music, poetry recitation, sound, or short film works: MP4 or audio files via WeTransfer, with file size that does not exceed 8 MB.

Please ensure that all images, videos, and files are labeled with the titles of the artworks for easy identification.

Sales note: Kulturnest will add a 35% commission on sales to the artist’s asking price + 11% VAT, which the client is responsible for paying.

Payment & Agreement Signing Deadline

Upon receiving Kulturnest’s acceptance email, selected artists must settle the non-refundable participation fee of 150$ (basic participation fee) OR 100$ (online participation fee only) and sign the Kulturnest-Artist agreement by the specified deadline.

Payment options:

Cash payment in person at Kulturnest during visiting hours
or via Whish Wallet under the name of Pamela Chrabieh - 03008245
Artists should cover any additional withdrawal or transfer fees.

For international artists: via OMT, Western Union, or bank transfer. Artists are responsible for transfer and withdrawal fees.

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

*Cover Hybrid Artwork: Dr. Pamela Chrabieh (sketch on paper & Procreate, 2026)

Key Dates

Submission deadline: August 15, 2026.
Selection announcements by email + WhatsApp: August 31, 2026.
Payment & agreement signing deadline: September 10, 2026.
Selected artworks delivery to Kulturnest: October 14 and 16, 2026, 11 AM to 6 PM.
Exhibition opening: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 6 to 9 PM.
Exhibition on view: October 24 to December 4, 2026.
Public visiting hours: Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 AM to 6 PM.
Collector viewings: by appointment.
Artwork pick-up: December 4 and 9, 2026, 11 AM to 6 PM.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and continuing this journey together.

+9613008245 (Dr. Pamela Chrabieh, Kulturnest co-founder & CE0)
hello@kulturnest.com
kulturnest.com