Call for proposals

For more than 4 decades Arena has through its publications been engaged in a process of political and cultural interpretation. The shift towards a globalised high-tech society dominated by markets and finance has meant that Arena’s interpretative project has become increasingly complex and multi faceted. Much of what was once took for granted in terms of cultures, societies, identities and values is open to challenge. To be critically engaged necessarily today means to be concerned with not only politics but with science, the environment, indigenous communities, militarization, the circulation of money and peoples, the centrality of images and information and so on.

Coming to terms with this radical transformation lies at the heart of the Arena project. Much of this shift occurs in the realm of images and sensations which are stimulated, harnessed enhanced and disciplined in contemporary work and leisure. This change in what we might think of in our cultural or aesthetic lives means the old relationship between art and politics must be rethought with a new sense of urgency and importance.

It is in this spirit that the Arena Project Space has been developed to allow for artists to engage with this emerging situation, one where both ‘art’ and what it engages with has acquired new forms and meanings, as well as new political dimensions.

We welcome enquiries and proposals for 2013-14

We welcome submissions for group or individual shows from artists whose work might be thought of as complementary to the aims of Arena’s other activities – work that is critical, exploratory or which documents the radical changes in contemporary culture and society.

Submissions to exhibit in the Arena Project Space should include the following:

1. Cover page

• Main contact person and contact details.
• Names of all applicants if a group show is being proposed.
• A brief description of your proposal (1 paragraph)

2. Proposal

• This should include more detail about the concepts and ideas you are investigating in your work (no longer than one A4 page)

3. CV

• No more than one A4 page. Please include relevant arts and exhibition history.

4. Support Material

• Indicate whether the material provided is for the proposed exhibition or not
• CDs and DVDs or flash drives are accepted – (300dpi – 2mb max)
• If emailing the work please include low res JPEGS (72dpi), but make sure the image size allows for enough detail in the work
• 10 images maximum
• Images must be clearly labelled. Name, title, dimensions, date
• DVDs should be less than 10 minutes in duration (indicate if the work is a clip for a longer body of work and give information as to the length and content of longer work)
• Audio should be less than 10 minutes in duration (again, indicate the specifics of the work)
• Include technical specifications, what equipment will you use, what will you need, etc.

Exhibition fee

• The cost for the whole space is $1500 for a three week period

Please download the pdf of the APS floorplan

The cost of your exhibition will include:

• 100 invitations in gallery format
• Email mailout to APS list
• Line advertising in Art Almanac
• Standard materials for hanging exhibitions (white paint, nails, pins, etc.). Please let us know if you need other equipment or materials, and we’ll do our best to assist you.

Insurance: downloadable form for terms and conditions

Exhibition proposals are selected by the Arena Project Space board, which consists of APS coordinators, art professionals and Arena editors.

Please send proposals to

For more information contact Arena Project Space on (03) 9416 0232 or via the above email.

Download this information as a Word document