Open Call
PAY ATTENTION!
(working title)
This exhibition will take place as the final installment in a series of three art exhibitions exploring everyday aesthetic categories emerging under late capitalism. The theme is inspired by and in response to the work of feminist scholar and aesthetic theorist Sianne Ngai, a professor at Stanford University, whose research explores the commonplace aesthetic categories that have emerged in response to capitalism. Ngai argues that these marginalized everyday aesthetics, in contrast to more academically recognized aesthetics such as "beautiful" or "sublime" more directly speak to our daily interaction with and experience of the world around us.
Group art exhibition
Deadline: July 18th, 2025
Exhibition Dates: September 26th - October 1st, 2025
Location: WEST / Alte WU, Augasse 2-6, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Curator: Ziegi Boss
Concept prompt:
PAY ATTENTION! (working title) explores the pervasive influence of the attention economy on contemporary aesthetics. In a world where digital platforms commodify our focus, attention becomes both a valuable resource and a form of labor—something to be seized, manipulated, and sold. From algorithmically curated feeds to the sensory overstimulation of urban advertisements, the visual culture around us is increasingly designed for speed, interruption, and the ability to grab and retain our focus. As formats and platforms evolve to exploit our cognitive habits, aesthetic forms are adapting to hold our gaze just a second longer. This environment shapes not only what we see, but how we see and what gets pushed to the margins when we are trained to look quickly, superficially, or endlessly.
This exhibition considers how this relentless competition for our gaze shapes the visual, spatial, and temporal aesthetics of contemporary life, where every output risks being flattened into content and every moment optimized for engagement.
How to Apply
NOTE: While a proposal for specific artwork is very welcome, we are also open to receiving submissions from artists who feel a strong connection between this theme and their practice and are still developing artwork ideas.
Please fill out the submission form linked below
Included in the submission form:
Contact information
A short written statement (max. 250 words, in English) on a proposed artwork, or (if still developing artwork ideas) your interest in the theme and how it connects to your artistic practice
Link(s) to your website, portfolio or other relevant material
An upload of a relevant image if applicable (please limit file size to 10mb)
Logistical information (potential installation requirements, etc.)
Deadline: July 18th, 2025.
Selection: Artists will be notified of selections by the end of July.
Additional Information
Eligibility: This Open Call is for artists working in all mediums, and welcomes interdisciplinary submissions. VCAS is committed to inclusivity and accessibility, and encourages artists from all backgrounds to apply. If you have any accessibility concerns, please get in touch!
Installation and equipment: As VCAS is a young organization with limited resources, we can only accept a limited number of artists who would not be in Vienna to install and deinstall their own artwork, or provide their own technical equipment.
Artist Fee: Unfortunately, we are not able to provide any financial support to artists at this time.
Contact
For inquiries, please contact office@vcasvienna.com.