OPEN CALL: GOETHE-INSTITUT GALLERY 2026
The Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg invited artists, curators, and collectives to submit rough proposals for gallery interventions, exhibitions, and experimental projects that sparked debate and reflected various global topics affecting South Africa, the continent, and beyond.
The Goethe-Institut Gallery Open Call is now closed.
This open call offered use of the Goethe-Institut Gallery and other negotiated spaces within the Institut, as well as marketing, PR, and social media support. We encouraged proposals that took a dynamic approach to understanding space and its limitations – and thus this call invited proposals that explored, broke down, unpacked, and repacked thought-provoking conceptions of the gallery walls and the institution as a whole – inside, outside, and the spaces in between.
Projects had to be non-commercial and (further) developed in partnership with Goethe-Institut project managers.
Funding criteria
Deadline for projects to be implemented from January to May 2026: July 15th
Deadline for projects to be implemented from June to December 2026: October 15th
- We encourage the proposal of good project ideas rather than finalized projects
- Proposals which have a high-level of public engagement (possible “activations”) integrated in the programming
- Relevance of the concept to contemporary issues
- A realistic budget
- The grant invites experimentation with interdisciplinary formats of presentation
- We encourage you to raise further funds.
- Proposals can, but do not have to include a relationship/partnership with a German counterpart
- Organisations or departments of institutions of higher learning are welcome to apply
Required documents
A complete and eligible application will consist of the following information:
- Contact information of the applicant
- Names and personal profiles/CVs, weblinks of all project partners
- The names of key participants
- Project information (working title, brief description, detailed description, etc.
- Proposed schedule
- Budget (revenues, expenses, own and third-party funds)
