Connected Canvas: UK Digital Artists Invited to a £15,000 National Gallery Commission
London's National Gallery has opened a commission for a new digital artwork that will be shown across linked screens in the Sainsbury Wing entrance. The Connected Canvas programme invites emerging UK-based creatives to develop an experience that brings the human stories behind paintings into conversation with contemporary visitors. The selected individual or creative team will receive a commission of £15,000.
What kind of digital work is the Gallery seeking?
Proposals should engage imaginatively with the Gallery's painting collection, especially the stories around the works, their makers, histories and meanings. The commission calls for purposeful use of the group of screens rather than simply transferring an existing artwork into a display format. Audience experience, accessibility, clarity, originality and production feasibility form part of the published selection criteria.
UK-based emerging creatives only
Individuals, collectives and multidisciplinary teams may apply, but all members of the creative team must be based in the United Kingdom and be within their first five years of professional creative practice. Applicants must not be in full-time formal education; part-time students can be eligible. For collaborative applications the same rules apply to every creative team member, although external suppliers engaged for specific services are treated differently. Applicants need the ability to enter a contract with the Gallery and receive payment.
Commission fee and staged selection
The total fee is £15,000 for the chosen project, whether it is created by one person or a team; it should not be interpreted as a separate fee for every collaborator. Up to ten individuals or teams may be invited to an in-person IdeasLab on 13 January 2027, with £500 paid per shortlisted application for the workshop and proposal development. The commission decision is scheduled for 5 February 2027. Production is expected from February to April 2027.
Display dates and application deadline
The work is scheduled to launch on Friday 30 April 2027 and appear in timed takeovers on six Friday evening openings up to 4 June 2027. The initial Expression of Interest must reach the Gallery by Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 11:59pm UK time. At this first stage, applicants introduce their practice and team, share examples of earlier work and briefly outline their idea; a fully detailed production plan is not required.
How to apply safely
The National Gallery, a long-established public art museum in London, hosts the official Connected Canvas opportunity and links to its own expression-of-interest form. Applicants should read the technical specifications and FAQs before committing to screen requirements and the January and February selection dates. No application should be sent to Aion Laboratory.
Source checked 28 October 2026. This is an independent editorial introduction, not a National Gallery announcement made by Aion Laboratory. The official brief and submission form govern eligibility, payment, technical requirements and deadlines.