2026 Exhibitions Program Callout

CLOSED

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CLOSED 〰️

↗ Natalie Quan Yau Tso, Sea-Skins 海皮 (2024). Photo: Louis Lim.

↗ Amanda Bennetts, Stealth Care: Wellness from the Algorithm (2024). Photo: Louis Lim.

From January to November 2026, Outer Space will support and present new exhibitions from this callout, as well as invited projects in our main gallery at the Judith Wright Arts Centre, Magandjin/Brisbane. 

About OS

Outer Space is contemporary arts organisation that collaborates with emerging, early and mid-career artists and arts workers to present critically engaged, experimental practices in a supportive, professional environment. Since it was founded in 2016, Outer Space has fast become a leading platform in the australian visual arts sector, providing a range of opportunities and resources for the development of artists, writers, curators, arts workers and the communities around them.

Purpose

Our exhibitions, especially in the main gallery, present significant and exploratory new opportunities for artists - vital links between where they are, and where they’re going. You’ll work closely with the OS team towards the commissioning of new work with artistic, curatorial, logistical, and community support.

Eligibility

  • Emerging, early and mid-career artists & curators only (which am I?)

  • Based anywhere in australia, with priority to qld-based artists

  • Open to solo or group projects (with not more than 3 or 4 contributors in most cases)

  • Availability/capacity to install & deinstall your exhibition

  • First Nations people, people of colour, culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTQIA+ and gender diverse people and regional artists are strongly encouraged to apply. 

  • Successful applicants must provide a valid ABN number. This can be acquired once notified of the outcome, at no cost.

Ineligibility

  • Unfortunately, this opportunity is not available to undergraduate students

  • The exhibition cannot have already been exhibited

Successful applicants will receive:

  • $2000 artist fee for solo exhibitions and $1000 per artist for group exhibitions

  • $1000 production fee for solo exhibitions, $850 production fee for collaborative exhibitions (2 people) and $500 production fee per artist for group exhibitions (3 to 5 people)

  • $1000 curator fee (for solo or group exhibitions, where applicable)

  • Opening event

  • Public program event

  • Consultation and feedback on work in development with the Outer Space team

  • Installation assistance

  • Accompanying critical text by an invited writer 

  • Digital promotion via Outer Space’s website, email list, and social media platforms

  • Professional documentation

To apply, please provide the following. An application template is available here:

  • An exhibition proposal, clearly outlining what the exhibition will look like and how it will be installed in the gallery (up to 500 words)

  • Artist statement (up to 250 words)

  • CV

  • Link to website (if you have one)

  • Up to 10 clearly labelled images of previous and/or indicative work

  • Indicate your preferred month and the time required to produce your work. Please note, if you are selected for an exhibition, we are unable to guarantee your preferred month.

Access needs: 

Please let us know if you would prefer to apply in a different format or if there is any barrier for you in the submission process. And please note that additional support to assist with access requirements is possible within our programs. Get in touch with our Exhibitions Officer, Tay Haggarty to find out more by emailing exhibitions@outerspacebrisbane.org


Applications close 11.59pm on Monday 1 September 2025
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↗ Savannah Jarvis, Surgical Fantasies (2023). Photo: Louis Lim.

↗ Dean Ansell, The Riḡorabana, The Balawaia (2025). Photo: Louis Lim.

Applications will be assessed by Outer Space's Programming Committee (made up of the Outer Space Director, Exhibitions Assistant, two Outer Space board members, and an external advisor/artist) with the following criteria:

✦ New, ambitious, and timely work

We are looking for work that has not been exhibited previously, or that is significantly varied from previous work, and that is ambitious both within the artist's own practice and in a wider contemporary art context. Timely works are those that respond to, interact with, or provide commentary on contemporary issues such as ecological, social, cultural, economic conditions etc.

✦ Quality of the applicant's previous work

Give us context of how your proposed work for this project relates to the ideas, themes or work of your broader practice.

✦ Potential for this opportunity to extend the artist's practice.

We consider the impact this exhibition opportunity may have for each artist and aim to support artists approaching a pivotal point in their practice.

✦ Overall contribution to diversity in Outer Space programming

We consider all individual proposals within the context of the entire year’s program to ensure diversity of perspectives, practices, mediums and concepts within the works shown.

✦ Suitability of proposal to the opportunity

We are looking for proposals that are considerate of the main gallery space and respond to the unique propositions of the infrastructure (i.e. street-facing windows, high ceilings and central beams etc).

Frequently Asked Q’s

Things you should absolutely know before applying! 

↘ Ivy Minnicon, Ngana us (2023). Photo: Louis Lim.

Submit your application

A plain text version of the callout is available here.

If you have any questions or require access support for you application, please contact our Exhibitions Officer, Tay Haggarty via email at exhibitions@outerspacebrisbane.org

Applications close 11.59pm on Monday 1 September 2025.