FilmEU ARE 2027 OFF GRID: International Media Art, VR and Film Research Open Call
FilmEU's Artistic Research Exhibition (ARE) has opened a new international call for the 2027 edition, titled OFF GRID. The exhibition will take place in Nová tržnica (New Market Hall), Bratislava, Slovakia, from 20 April to 5 May 2027, with an online presentation extending through 2027. Digital artists, filmmakers, visual researchers, animators and experimental moving-image practitioners from Europe and beyond may apply by 13 December 2026. The WIRE by FilmEU agenda specifies 23:59 Western European Time for the deadline; leave a buffer for international uploads. FilmEU consists of eight European higher education institutions, with Bratislava's Academy of Performing Arts (VŠMU) hosting the exhibition.
Theme: OFF GRID, privacy and digital disconnection
OFF GRID examines the social, ecological and psychological meaning of stepping outside systems that track, connect or categorise people. The call is interested in surveillance, artificial intelligence and the ability to disappear; voluntary disconnection, enforced exclusion and isolation; the commodification of privacy; and the relationships between online networks and loneliness. The concept is broad enough to accommodate critical documentary, generative or interactive artwork, but entrants should articulate their work as artistic research rather than simply attaching a fashionable technology label.
Who may apply? Not limited to FilmEU students
Any artist whose practice involves or is informed by artistic research may apply. A higher-education affiliation or postgraduate research track is preferred, but expressly NOT mandatory. Applicants outside the WIRE by FilmEU alliance are welcome, though some exhibition positions are reserved for FilmEU internal research. Proposals may be submitted by individual artists or collaborative research teams with appropriate authority to present all included media.
Eligible work and installation formats
Research-driven film, documentary, experimental moving images and animation.
Media artworks, software-based or digital installations, single/multiple-screen projects, virtual reality and interactive audiovisual research.
Finished works or, exceptionally, works in progress that can be fully completed by the exhibition.
Work must be no more than two years old; check completion dates and portfolio history carefully.
Include a practical installation proposal describing required screens, VR headsets, network access, equipment, dimensions and technical support.
Submission materials and dates
Deadline: 13 December 2026, with the FilmEU event calendar listing 23:59 WET.
Applicant CV.
Abstract of the work's research question, process and contribution, no longer than 400 words.
A viewable preview link so the selection committee can inspect the actual work.
Technical description, no longer than 120 words, with diagrams or sketches if necessary.
Acceptance notifications expected in January 2027; public exhibition 20 April–5 May 2027 and online during 2027.
Financial support: capped reimbursement, not a cash prize
FilmEU states that participants attending in person can be reimbursed for travel and accommodation costs up to €300 PER PROJECT. This is not an automatic €300 award for every exhibitor and may not cover a costly international flight. The announcement does not state a confirmed submission fee, guaranteed honorarium, shipping grant or production budget; verify any such terms with the organisers before paying a third party or booking travel. Exhibition equipment may be adjusted to match venue limits, so selected artists should negotiate technical details before committing expensive rentals.
Who organises ARE and how to verify it
ARE is a recurring exhibition of artistic research within WIRE by FilmEU, supported by eight European higher-education institutions. The 2027 edition is the fourth and is coordinated with an international curatorial committee from VŠMU in Slovakia and partners in Estonia, Bulgaria, Portugal, Lithuania, Belgium, Ireland and Denmark. Its programme sits alongside the SAR Conference and WIRE summit, giving entrants identifiable organisers, institutional websites and a publicly stated exhibition location.
Official application and research guidelines
FilmEU WIRE: authoritative ARE 2027 OFF GRID open call: https://wire.filmeu.eu/news-and-updates/open-call-for-artistic-research-exhibition-are-2027
FilmEU's list of current open calls and online submission pathway: https://wire.filmeu.eu/open-calls
FilmEU event calendar and deadline timezone: https://wire.filmeu.eu/agenda
Information verified 24 October 2026. Submissions close 13 December 2026. Questions can be directed to are@filmeu.eu. Original work, permissions and artist-research methodology should be clearly documented.