Born to be Alive – Open Call

A4 Sounds invites artists to submit completed works for *Born to be Alive.*, an upcoming group exhibition presented as part of their ongoing We Only Want the Earth programme in Dublin.

The exhibition continues the conversation begun in *The Cosmos, The Earth, and Us*, exploring the goals and strategies of social change — what kind of society do we want, and how do we get there? The curatorial brief is a visual spreadsheet of research threads touching on climate change, border regimes, Western imperialism, housing crises, and what Gramsci called the interregnum: a moment when the old world is dying and the new world struggles to be born.

Two categories of submission:

A. Digital Artworks — Open to artists based anywhere in the world. Accepted formats include video, film, sound, and digital images (any file-shareable media). A4 Sounds particularly welcomes submissions from artists based in previously colonised or currently occupied countries, and the Global South.

B. Physical Artworks — Open to artists based in Ireland (including the north). A wide range of mediums are welcome, with particular interest in sound, video, paint, textiles, and sculpture.

For both categories, works engaging with social, political, geopolitical, geological, ecological, or speculative themes are especially encouraged.

Artist fee: €300 per selected artwork.

Selection process: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis every Monday by the curatorial team. Works are selected by vote based on how they respond to the exhibition theme and their artistic quality. The call remains open until the available budget is exhausted or the exhibition reaches a natural pause.

All applications are confidential and viewed only by the curatorial panel. Only completed works are accepted — works in progress will not be considered (minor edits with documentation may be discussed).

To view the full brief, visit: https://tr.ee/oH8fqz (best viewed in landscape on a desktop).

For questions, contact Lisa at wowte@a4sounds.org.