IMAI – Inter Media Art Institute invites artists, collectives, and initiatives to apply for a new commission as part of the exhibition project Circulating Copies in the public space of the city of Düsseldorf. We welcome proposals from practitioners whose work engages with experiences of marginalization and expands the concept of accessibility within audio/visual media and related infrastructures. We are especially interested in perspectives that critically examine sensory perception—particularly hearing and seeing—and the related social exclusions and systemic barriers.
 

Background

Founded in 2006 in Düsseldorf, the IMAI – Inter Media Art Institute is dedicated to preserving, researching, and making audiovisual artworks accessible to a wide and diverse audience. We pursue this mission through a range of research projects, exhibitions, publications, and our distribution program. Today, our archive holds over 3,000 artistic works, with a particular focus on international video art and underground music scenes. At the same time, we continuously reflect on our own position and responsibilities within this field. We are committed to challenging dominant norms of perception and fostering new approaches to accessibility. We see ourselves as allies in an ongoing process of transforming structures and practices within audio/visual art, striving to amplify the rich diversity of artistic voices and perspectives.
 

Exhibition project

Circulating Copies presents time-based art in public and institutional spaces across Düsseldorf, Germany. Originally conceived as an alternative format for presenting and sharing video art in the urban environment, the project asks how artistic works can circulate beyond traditional exhibition spaces and reach new audiences. Building on this distribution-based approach, the 2026 edition focuses on the conditions, opportunities, and challenges of audio/visual infrastructures:

• What barriers exist in accessing audio/visual infrastructures such as screens or speaker systems?
• How do technical, spatial, and social structures shape the ways we experience and participate in audio/visual media?
• In what ways can artistic interventions reveal existing exclusions and create alternative forms of access?
• How might audio/visual art challenge dominant norms of perception and open up new ways of seeing and hearing?

With this edition, Circulating Copies invites you to critically examine audio/visual infrastructures, make visible and/or audible the social exclusions they can produce, and experiment with new forms of participation and perception.
 

Who should apply?

• Artists, collectives, and initiatives whose work addresses social barriers and experiences of marginalization
• We especially encourage people who are disabled by barriers and discriminated against by exclusion in the areas of hearing or seeing to apply
• Focus: audio/visual media (e.g., video, sound, projection, installation)
• Open to all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities
   

What are we looking for?

• New works in video, media, or sound art that engage with issues of vision and/or hearing, distantism, and accessibility
• Projects that critically reflect on dominant audio/visual infrastructures and create alternative forms of access, interpretation, or experience
• Proposals that explicitly address the social dimensions of sensory perception—by pointing out exclusions, exploring counter-models, or questioning norms
• We welcome local and international perspectives with a genuine interest to engage on-site in Düsseldorf
• Collaborative, participatory, and experimental approaches are highly encouraged
   

What we offer

• An artistic project fee of 2,500 EUR, a production budget of 3,000 EUR for the realization of the new work, and a travel budget of up to 1,500 EUR
• Presentation as part of Circulating Copies at prominent public and inner-city locations in Düsseldorf in April 2026
• Curatorial and technical support throughout the process
• Exposure within the IMAI network and beyond
   

Accessibility and application

We are committed to making the application process as accessible as possible. Applications may be submitted in text, audio, or video format. If you require assistance preparing your materials, please let us know as early as possible.
 

Application materials

• Short description of the artistic proposal (max. 3 pages or 5 minutes audio/video)
• Artistic CV or collective profile
• Examples of previous work (links, videos, documentation)
   

Deadline

Please send your complete application by September 30, 2025, to info@stiftung-imai.de. All applicants will be notified of the selection outcome by October 31, 2025.
 

Note
 

We strongly encourage applications from people with diverse perspectives and experiences of marginalization. The selection will be made by a jury consisting of Joshua Pesch-Ulonska (diversity officer and digital affairs, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf), Siegfried Saerberg (professor for disability studies and participation research, Protestant University of Applied Sciences for Social Work & Diakonia), and Linnea Semmerling (director, IMAI – Inter Media Art Institute).

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